Sewing Together a Heart Torn to Shreds
by NejiKikyoAnimeRose
Summary: SasuNeji. Neji is suffering from the loss of his family and Sasuke is suffering from the loss of his own. Shounen ai, angst, etc. NejiHina if you squint.
1. The Hyuugas

The chocolate-haired boy looked out of the transparent car window at all of the passing sights as the rain drops mingled and mixed on the smooth surface. The boy sighed and his white eyes let themselves be covered momentarily by his delicate eyelids. His mind was calm and peaceful but inside he was suffering a strange emotion he couldn't quite label. He supposed it had something to do with the recent death of his father and his suddenly being placed under the guardianship of his uncle, Hiashi, who was also the father of the young boy's cousin, a girl named Hinata who was one year his junior. The boy, Hyuuga Neji, let out a deep breath a little more controlled than his previous sigh and opened his eyes again. He felt the car come slowly to a stop at a stoplight and Neji took the opportunity to get a good look at his surroundings.

It was actually quite nice here. He found himself slightly attracted to this very woody area and its untouched and pristine splendor. Trees stood wild and untamed to his right, standing together, strong, proud and beautiful. To his left were numerous houses, lined up nicely, but spaced out very well, providing each one a very spacious yard.

The driver caught him looking at the forest and smiled.

"That's Konoha Forest, Hyuuga-san," he informed the interested boy. Neji nodded.

"It's beautiful," he said, almost in a whisper. The driver nodded.

"It is," he agreed. "And Hiashi-sama's home is right at the edge. You'll be able to visit anytime you wish, as it is town property." Neji turned to the driver, his expression unchanging.

"Arigato," he said. "That should provide me some comfort." _An over exaggeration, I know, but, what else can I say? _Neji thought, sighing internally. The driver, thankfully unable to hear Neji's inner monologue, and thus, unable to perceive what he was truly thinking, smiled.

"Don't mention it," he said cheerfully. "We're almost there, by the way." Neji nodded, uttering no further words, and sinking, once again into a rather dejected silence.

The car moved slowly forward and Neji's eyes absentmindedly returned to the window and he continued his empty stare, memorizing the scenery but never really registering it. His mind was elsewhere, though even he didn't know where. Neji had always been aloof, and there were points when one could go so far as to call him indifferent, for he really did not care about many and most things he came across. It was a tendency that led many to believe him to be antisocial, and unable to engage in the pleasantries of conversation with others. He could, but it was always awkward. He had never had any real friends, for even when his father was alive, the death of his mother still hung heavily over the young boy's head and really prevented him from inserting himself into the lives of others.

Thus, his current personality; quiet, understated, distant, and any other adjective relating to these. And now, empty. Now that his father as well was gone, Neji was left empty, not without the will to live, but without the will to continue. He had no desire to end his life, no desire to become suicidal, but he also had no desire or energy to be ambitious.

He was nothing but an empty shell.

A quarter hour later, the car turned onto a smaller road, which became more and more secluded as they continued. The rain came down slightly softer and Neji saw that the forest was thickening slightly around him. He felt strangely at ease here, and the sight of the endless green soothed his unstable emotions, if only slightly. This feeling was destroyed, however, when the car emerged from the forest and an enormous building revealed itself on Neji's right. Predictably, Neji's gaze was drawn to this rather magnificent structure. It was a massive stone building with gothic architecture and a rather old fashioned feel. There were three stories and the main entrance was easily noticeable even from a distance, as the six great stone pillars that lined a wide pathway had given it away. The grass that surrounded it was cut evenly and perfectly, giving the lawn a look of felt and velvet. The rain landed gracefully on the short blades of grass, shining slightly, as if covering the grass by a soft glass surface. In front of the large building was a large sign that said in all capital letters; KONOHA HIGH SCHOOL. Neji's silence could hardly be called stunned. It was barely even impressed.

"That's Konoha High," the driver pointed out. _Really? I hadn't noticed. _Neji thought icily. The driver continued, unperturbed.

"That's the school you'll be going to," he said. "You're a sophomore, right?" Neji, without turning to him, nodded.

"Hai," he said coldly. The driver looked into his rearview mirror, unable to sense the tone of distaste in the Hyuuga's voice. He smiled and nodded.

"My niece goes there," he said. "Senior. Maybe you'll see her. Her name's Hirose Moriko. Seventeen." Neji barely nodded, only inclining his head slightly.

"I'll be sure to look for her," he said, aware that if he said too much he might let slip something hurtful. After all, the driver was only making conversation with him. But this was most definitely one of those awkward situations Neji tried to avoid if he could. He knew full well that people expected him to respond to their questions as well as add to them, which he never did. And that always complicated things; mostly things that shouldn't be complicated.

That was exactly what happened here. The driver waited patiently for Neji to say something, most likely expecting him to ask what his niece was like or what she enjoyed doing. But the brunette Hyuuga simply turned his head and his dead stare continued. The driver looked slightly crestfallen, but Neji didn't notice. It was no skin off his back. The drive continued in this fashion; silent and tense, at least for the driver; for another five minutes. Then, Neji felt the car turn into a driveway. He sighed slightly and closed his eyes. He felt rather awkward with the whole situation, despite appearing extremely stoic. He didn't mind imposing, but he was going to be living, for the rest of his high school career, at least, with the uncle he had never met, ultimately, having to start a new life there. With him. And that thought was a little uncomfortable, to say the least.

"Alright, Hyuuga-san, we're here," the driver announced, trying to maintain his cheerful attitude, but having trouble in the face of Neji's rudeness. "Let me carry your things for you."

"Arigato," Neji spoke, as he opened the car door and stepped out onto a beautifully kept, but gravel driveway. His eyes scanned the area around him and he was pleased to see that his uncle's was the only house in the area and that it was, as the driver had said, incredibly near the forest, practically surrounded by it, actually. Tall green trees grew around the large house, the only things that separated it from the school. Neji walked up the driveway casually, followed by the agitated driver, who carried the brunette's rather light luggage of only two small suitcases. There was a smooth transition of gravel into pavement and Neji soon found himself walking on a carefully paved walkway up to the simple, yet extravagant house. It was simple in the sense that it was only a clean white color that made Neji's eyes appear dark in comparison and it was extravagant because it was two stories and beautifully made with a splendid garden surrounding it. Neji already knew that he would be spending a lot of time there.

The boy walked up the stone steps and made his way across the porch to the door. It was a deep blue color and stood tall above him. He looked behind him and saw the driver standing a few feet away, a look of irritation dominating his features. The Hyuuga turned around and knocked three times on the proud blue door. He ignored the silver knocker, as that was tacky, and he didn't use the doorbell because he knew from experience that they were just too damn annoying when someone would repeatedly ring them if they didn't think anyone was coming.

The knocks sounded soft to him, but he was sure they would echo inside the house. Sure enough, a moment later, the door was being pulled open and a tall man with a much defined complexion and sharp muscular angles appeared at the threshold. He had long ebon hair very much like Neji's and his eyes glowed the same pearly white, though with more life and fervor than Neji's. He looked at the young boy and smiled.

"Welcome, Neji-san," he said, his voice causing Neji's heart to ache in remembrance of his own father. He could see and hear the resemblance. The young Hyuuga bowed.

"Arigato, Hiashi-sama," he said politely, bowing. Hiashi inclined his head and stepped smoothly to the right.

"Please come in," he invited. Neji bowed again and stepped inside, removing his shoes and turning to take his bags from a very angry looking driver. Hiashi held up his hand and took the bags instead, thanking the driver, who abruptly whirled around and left the house immediately. The door slammed shut and Hiashi looked at Neji.

"Well, I'll show you to your room and then introduce you to Hinata and Hanabi," he said. Neji nodded. He followed Hiashi through the hallway into what appeared to be a living room. There was a TV set up in an entertainment center, and hooked up to it were a DVD player and stereo sound system. Neji's eyebrow went up. _They like to live it up. _He noted to himself. Without a comment, he turned his gaze back to Hiashi's tall frame and followed him to a carpeted set of stairs. He followed his new guardian up and down a small hallway that led to a plane white door. Hiashi stopped.

"Here's your room," he said. "As you settle yourself in more feel free to decorate it in any way you wish." He chuckled at this last statement. "Though it doesn't seem as though you will be changing much?" Neji controlled a smirk.

"You seem to know me well," he said. "Indeed, I don't believe in trivial accessories or useless things like that." Hiashi smiled at him.

"Just as my brother described you," he said, and Neji could detect a hint of pain in the man's voice, as well as in his own heart. He hesitated slightly, but then spoke.

"Did my father," he began somewhat awkwardly. "Speak of me often?" Hiashi nodded, and his eyes became glazed as though remembering the recent past in which his beloved twin brother still lived.

"Yes, he spoke of you very often," he answered solemnly. "Very fondly, as well. He couldn't be prouder of the son he would just rant about for hours. It hadn't been fifteen minutes before I felt I knew you myself, despite having never met you before now." Neji looked down at his feet and his eyes closed slowly, but not tightly, as he felt tears well up within them. His first impulse was to blink them away, but he knew that his father would wish him to be comfortable with this man who was now his new family, so Neji let them come. The small droplets of the incarnate of Neji's emotion fell softly and delicately from his eyes and onto the floor. Only one or two, though. Neji did not normally sob or weep. He only ever shed a few tears, and even that happened rarely.

Hiashi saw the tears fall from his nephew's eyes and placed the boy's bags on the floor next to him. He stepped forward without hesitation. He slowly reached out his arms and pulled Neji into them. The boy tensed at being held so readily, but did not pull away. They were both thinking of Neji's father and why he would've appointed Hiashi as Neji's legal guardian if he didn't want them to be able to have the relationship of a normal father and son. That was why the elder Hyuuga held the younger, and why the younger Hyuuga tolerated it.

After a moment, Neji pulled away, regaining his cool composure.

"Gomenasai, Hiashi-sama," he apologized. "I did not mean to let my emotions flow so freely while in your presence." He bowed and took his suitcases. He opened the white door to his room and entered, softly shutting it behind him. Hiashi watched the troubled boy and sighed, turning and walking away to find his daughters. _Neji's heart has been torn to shreds and it will take an angel of a seamstress to sew it together again. _

A few minutes later, Neji left his room and wandered his way downstairs to become more acquainted with his new home. Neji grimaced at that description of this place, but pushed the doubts from his mind. He did not have the luxury to call this house anything but his new home.

"Neji-san?" Neji turned and saw Hiashi standing before him with two young girls standing slightly behind him, one to his right and the other to his left. The brunette Hyuuga supposed them to be his daughters – what were their names? Hinata? Hanabi? Neji looked them over. The taller of the two, and most definitely the eldest, had short black hair, like her father, and her eyes were just as white as his, though hers with a touch more kindness and humanity. Her knees were turned slightly inward, clearly showing her timid personality and awkwardness at having to meet new people, and her face was a pale alabaster that was positively tainted with red. She looked at the floor and only occasionally looked up to steal glances at Neji, as though afraid he would yell at her should she be caught looking at him for too long. Neji raised an elegant brow and turned his attentions to the other, shorter sister. This one had a look of fierceness on her face, as though determined to prove that she was anything but a child. Her hair was black as well, but it was long, in the style of her father's. Her eyes flashed dangerously and she raised an eyebrow back at him, returning and holding his gaze. Neji almost smirked. The poor girl did not know that when it came to staring someone down, the brunette was unbeatable. She would just have to learn the hard way. He let his eyebrow fall slightly, and his eyes fixed themselves upon her, boring into her, penetrating and sharp. He felt her buckle under his stare and finally, she let up, understanding that she could not stare this boy into submission. She looked away in frustration, her body stiff from irritation. Hiashi shook his head and cleared his throat.

"Neji-san," he said. "These are my daughters, Hinata." He gestured to the shy girl to his right. "And Hanabi." His hand moved swiftly and gracefully to the other girl, who was still annoyed and refused to meet Neji's eyes. Neji bowed.

"Hinata-san," he said. "Hanabi-san, it is an honor to make your acquaintance." Hinata now was so red that a tomato would look washed out when compared to her blush and she quickly and shyly bowed to Neji.

"Please, Neji-san," she said. "The honor and pleasure is ours." Neji could not help but notice that her voice wavered as she said this, as though she were trying to keep from stuttering. He felt a pang of sympathy for her, but that was quickly masked by a pang of slight disgust at her lack of backbone. She seemed to him to be a coward. Hanabi, on the other hand, was very outspoken. She looked at Neji in a fierce glare and stepped forward, bowing.

"The feeling is mutual here, Neji-san," she said, an edge to her voice. "I hope your journey here was not unfavorable?" Neji looked at her.

"I thank you for being concerned, Hanabi-san," he said. "My journey here was most enjoyable." Hanabi smirked.

"No need to stand on ceremony to impress upon us," she said. "We are your family. We would wish it of you to be truthful with us." Neji blinked, but showed no signs of being perturbed or amused.

"Well, I suppose it is hard for me to get used to a family in which arrogance is considered as valuable as truthfulness," he said coolly. "But, I suppose it's just a passing phase, and that I, in time will get used to it, or the family will grow out of it. Which ever comes first." He looked Hanabi dead in the eye and her smirk faltered. She received a hard glare from her father before he turned to Neji, stern and strict.

"Neji-san, please understand," he said. "From now on, you will be considered a member of this household, and shall be treated as family, and that shall include reprimands. I would not wish your relation with Hanabi to begin on such unstable grounds so I must ask that you please refrain from such talk here." Neji bowed apologetically.

"Gomen," he said. "I apologize." Hiashi nodded and looked to Hanabi, who muttered an apology, bowing and resuming her fierce and somewhat indifferent appearance. Hinata was now shaking slightly with nervousness. She did not know her cousin was so sharp-tongued, and she did not know he would be so cold. There was now so much tension between him and Hanabi that it was beginning to choke the air around her. She decided boldly to attempt to break the newly formed ice.

"N-Neji-san," she started unsurely. He looked at her. "D-did you see K-Konoha High?" Neji nodded.

"Hai, Hinata-san," he said. "I did. It's a very beautiful school. Do you attend?" Hinata nodded shakily.

"H-hai," she replied. "I-I'm a freshmen there." Neji nodded.

"I am a sophomore there," he said. "I suppose I'll at least see you in the hallways." This comment had been intended to make her feel less awkward, but instead, Hinata's face only grew redder, if that was possible. Neji exhaled softly, almost in a sigh, and decided not to try anymore to make her more comfortable around him. Clearly, neither of these girls really wanted much to do with him. Which, of course, only suited him all the more perfectly. He turned to Hiashi.

"Hiashi-sama," he said respectfully. "If I have your leave, I should like to familiarize myself with this place." Hiashi smiled and nodded.

"No need to be so polite, though, Neji," he said, walking up to the young Hyuuga and placing a hand on his shoulder. "We are family after all." Neji nodded, looking blankly at his uncle, before bowed and walked away. Hanabi, Hinata and Hiashi all watched after him, some of them, more resentfully than others.

Neji didn't even look at anything in the house as he searched for a door that led outside. He did not notice the beautiful plants in decorative vases or the antique paintings hanging on the walls. He only concentrated on the door at the back of the house, hidden and dusty, that led outside. Neji reached it and fitted his slender hand around the knob, turning it sharply. He heard a click and pulled the door open, ignoring the small creak. He stepped out onto a porch that led into the backyard, which was in the form of a flower garden. There was a dirt pathway that weaved its way in and out of the garden, framing the flowers, the only colorful thing Neji really enjoyed. The garden was rather vast and was closed off by a fence that, in no way detracted from the beauty of the wondrous plants. Neji sighed, at ease, and stepped off the porch into the garden, enjoying the feel of the soft dirt on his bare feet. He walked slowly through the bunches of flowers, stopping to admire certain ones that especially caught his attention, and came to a halt in front of a group of enchanting white anemone flowers. Neji's breath shortened slightly as he knelt down to examine them more closely. The yellow center seemed to return his sorrowful gaze with one of even more infinite sadness. Its simple white petals formed a soft tipped star and the flowers themselves were small and delicate. Neji dared not touch them for fear of breaking their weak stems and crushing their all too fragile petals. His fingers reached out on impulse, though, and stopped inches away from the soft flowers. By then, the rain had stopped, and a little breeze had been born, barely noticeable by Neji. Said breeze flew softly and silently through the air and pushed a light anemone flower to his hand, so that the petals just brushed his pale fingers, causing him to wince, surprised that such an ironic thing had happened. He hated irony. It was just too…ironic.

Neji shook his head and withdrew his hand, letting it fall to his side, but his gaze remained on the flower. He knew that the anemone flower symbolized forsakenness and frailty. It suited him perfectly. That was why it drew his attention. Because of his own pathetic desire to relate to something; anything. Whether human or not, it didn't matter. And now, he had found something. Something that meant _him. _And he was content. At least, more so than a few minutes ago.

Closing his eyes and letting his head fall forward, Neji relaxed and let the breeze play with his hair, let the flowers dance around him, let his emotions run free in the garden that meant peace, but sorrow; serenity, but pain; promise, but lies.

Neji remained in the garden as dusk began to fall; as the fireflies began to emerge, and as it began to rain again. In fact, it wasn't until the rain that Neji saw fit to return to the house. He stood slowly and walked back along the dirt path, now freshly wet, and reentered his uncle's home. He quickly dried his feet on the mat at the entrance and walked aimlessly around and found himself in the kitchen. There was a counter and a stove and refrigerator, and above that there was a microwave. Scattered all around were cabinets that held, Neji guessed, dishes and food. He turned and went into unexplored territory, which turned out to be the dining room. There was a rather picturesque chandelier hanging above an oval table, with plenty of room to fit at least ten people. Neji saw the chairs neatly pushed in and the table neat and without mess, but he suspected that they had already eaten. Hiashi had probably left him to his own devices, seeing that he needed some time to adjust. Well, if that was the case, then Neji's uncle had most certainly thought and acted correctly. Neji turned and began to head up to his room when he heard someone call to him. He turned and saw that it was his soft cousin Hinata. He looked at her, expressionless.

"What is it, Hinata-san?" he asked. Hinata looked at the ground, clearly mustering up any and all courage she had to say whatever it was she seemed intent on saying to Neji. The brunette waited patiently. Finally Hinata looked up and straight into Neji's eyes, which surprised him.

"I j-just want to w-welcome you here, N-Neji-nii-san," she said. Neji was quite surprised at this sudden change. Nii-san? He was under the impression that she was uncomfortable around him. Neji watched as the young girl continued.

"I'm s-sorry for what h-happened to you," she stuttered, amazingly, still retaining eye contact. "B-but, please, l-let us be your family, t-too." Neji blinked and looked at her, confusion beginning to rule him over, but then quickly replaced by understanding, and maybe even some respect. He could see that his first impression of her was completely wrong. He certainly would never have had anywhere near enough courage to attempt something like what Hinata was doing. She was capable of acting on a whim when she felt it was necessary and she seemed to be very in tune with her feelings.

Neji nodded once to her and then held her gaze for a moment, before answering, "I'll try." Hinata's face showed hints of a smile and she bowed.

"A-arigato!" she gasped, sounding thoroughly relieved. "G-good night, Neji-nii-san!" She quickly hurried off and up the staircase to her room. Neji watched her go. _Perhaps this won't be downright horrible. _He thought, curiosity in his eyes.

* * *

**Please tell me if I should continue this fic. I am in the mood for a SasuNeji and I know I haven't introduced Sasuke yet, I need to know if this story is working so far!! So, reviews people!!**


	2. Shaky Relations

Morning came quickly, and Neji, as was his way, was up before dawn, but wasn't the first one up.

"Hanabi," Neji remarked as he walked down into the living room and saw the girl lounging on the couch, reading intently. She did not look up as she answered.

"Yes?" her voice was sharp and pointed. Neji chose not to rile her up. It was too early.

"Good morning," he said. Hanabi's eyes found their way to Neji's and they lingered on him.

"Good morning," she said, rather stiffly. Neji looked at her, but said nothing. After a moment he dropped her gaze and went into the kitchen. Let her think she had won. Neji didn't care. He moved his mind over to something else; school. When would he start? He was well aware that the year was already in progress, but just barely so. The official school year had only started a month ago. Neji's father had died three weeks ago, his funeral had been two weeks ago, and one week ago he had arranged to come here, and now he _was _here. In Konoha. Would Hiashi have him get settled first and then go to school? Or was he going to have him go to school right away? The young Hyuuga was more inclined to think that the former was what Hiashi would choose.

As it happens, he was right. Hiashi came down to breakfast that morning at six and had told Neji that he could stay at the house for a few days while he got settled and then could start the school year form there. Konoha High had already been alerted of his arrival, Neji had been told. Neji agreed to stay home, as going against that could possibly result in some kind of argument, for which Neji did not have the patience. He bid Hinata and Hanabi farewell as they both parted for their respective schools; Hinata for Konoha High, Neji's future school, and Hanabi for Konoha elementary, which she expressed great distaste in. Once they had left, Neji had headed straight for the garden, which was now fairly dry so the dirt no longer clung wetly to the bottoms of his feet. He spent virtually the entire day there and only came back in when Hiashi called him for lunch, during which they shared a rather awkward and short conversation, and then later to greet Hinata when she arrived home. Neji had then received an idea what his new academic life would be life. As soon as Hinata arrived home, she had said a hasty hello to Neji and Hiashi, and then had ripped off her backpack, threw it on the floor next to her and began to work on difficult English, science and math homework she had been assigned.

"Do you need some help?" Neji asked, sitting down next to her. Hinata looked up at him and went red.

"N-no, I can m-manage!" she insisted, returning her rather panicked gaze back to her homework. Neji shook his head. He leaned in towards her and whispered, "I am your family. It hurts when you don't think I can help you." Hinata's face heated up and Neji swore he could feel the heat emanating from her. She quickly moved her arm aside so Neji could see her assignment.

"Oh, alright," Neji said, looking it over. And he began a long, yet easy to understand lecture about whatever it was Hinata was having so much trouble with.

After approximately a half hour Hinata had vehemently insisted that she could do the rest herself and had put up the mental barrier Neji had sensed coming from her when she arrived home. He shrugged and turned to go to the garden, yet again, thinking more and more about Konoha High. Hinata, he knew was very intelligent and was in three AP classes, earth science, algebra, and English. This, the brunette Hyuuga knew, would be a lot, even for him to handle, but Hinata seemed to be doing alright, despite appearing positively rattled about it. He knew better than to assume that what she was showing on the outside was what she was actually feeling.

Neji arrived at the garden and once again slipped into his state of chaotic bliss, the emotions still raging inside him, but at a less tiring speed. The anemone flowers attracted his attention, as they always did and Neji sat in front of them, his milky eyes unblinking, taking in their sight. Nothing much had changed since his previous viewing, but still, the sight seemed new and fresh to him. He never exactly knew why he was so fascinated with the soft delicate beauty of flowers, but then he had never complained.

Neji sat silently, still and calmly, watching the flowers, until his uncle's voice brought him out of his pleasurable reverie.

"Neji?" the deep voice of his uncle asked. Neji's head turned and his eyes rested on his uncle. He bowed his head forward respectfully.

"Hai, Hiashi-sama," he said. Hiashi flinched slightly, but did not attempt to correct his young nephew. He had given up long ago on attempting to persuade Neji to breech the rules of etiquette and speak more comfortably with him. Instead, the elder Hyuuga returned the bow slightly and spoke.

"I assume that your mind has touched over to the subject of when you will be attending Konoha High?" he inquired. Neji stood, dusting himself off slightly, and nodded.

"Hai," he said. "I have been considering possibly going to school tomorrow. I don't wish to fall too far behind on the curriculum. What is your opinion?" Hiashi looked at Neji thoughtfully.

"I figured you would like to begin the school year as soon as possible," he said. "I have briefly considered sending you to school tomorrow as well, but, are you certain that you are ready to so quickly begin your new life here, without so much as a small orientation?" Neji looked down.

"Begging your pardon, Hiashi-sama," he said softly. "But the reality of life is, once the initial life has passed and faded from sight, the chance of an orientation of a new life is slim to none, and in this case, it most certainly is none." He was silent and bowed apologetically, but Hiashi merely looked at him. _Strange priorities…_ He thought grimly. _Perhaps it is better if he is sent to school as soon as may be. _Hiashi smiled a little and sighed lightly.

"Very well," he said. "Neji-san, if you wish to attend school tomorrow, I shall prepare your things for you." Neji nodded.

"Arigato," he spoke emotionlessly.

"Your backpack will be left on the table for tomorrow," Hiashi informed. "Hinata can show you around the school quickly. Well, between classes I suppose. You will be able to cope, yes?" Neji only looked at his uncle, who did know that that was a silly question. Of course Neji could cope. This would only be a trivial matter of learning his way around the school, and that he could do in a matter of days, more or less, depending on where his classes were. There would be no issue in terms of how well he would fare academically in this school. He knew his current intellect would be more than sufficient for passing grades. Hiashi nodded, understanding Neji's lack of verbal answer and body language to mean, "Why would you ask that?" He refrained from chuckling at the boy's sureness and looked at Neji.

"Alright, I suppose you will be able to handle this more than adequately," he said. "No doubt you'll assimilate quickly." Neji flinched as Hiashi turned on his heel and walked slowly and composedly away. Strange, and strangely impacting choice of words. Assimilate. Neji did not think that he would ever grow to fit in with this group of people. He wondered for a moment if Hiashi had been speaking metaphorically. He could have been referring to Neji as an immigrant and Konoha High as the new culture into which he would have to assimilate. Neji shook his head slightly and brought his mind away from the unusually affecting word. There were other times during which he could contemplate the meaning of it, and this was a time in which he did not feel like dwelling on the simple word.

His attentions turned back to the anemone flower and he resumed his kneeling position, his posture slightly relaxed, his breathing steady and healthy, and his heartbeat calm and soft.

He should've liked to remain out in the garden, perhaps for all eternity, but he knew he could not, as Hiashi called him to dinner. The young Hyuuga stood and turned, reluctantly walking into the house.

Neji walked to the dining room to find the three people who were his new family, already sitting around the long table, Hiashi at the head, Hinata to his right, twisting in her chair to face Neji, and Hanabi, to his left, almost glaring at Neji, and sitting uncomfortably still. Hiashi smiled as Neji walked over to them.

"Neji-san!" he said cheerfully. "Come, sit by Hinata." He gestured to a chair next to his elder daughter and Neji complied, bowing and then moving towards the indicated chair. He sat down and bowed his head forward.

"Arigato," he said. "Thank you for letting me into your home and lives." He had been waiting to give a formal thanks to them and dinner seemed like the perfect time to do it. He raised his gaze to Hiashi, who had been looking at him with raised brow. He snapped out of his daze when he saw Neji's penetrating white eyes on him, though. He nodded.

"Do not thank me," he said. Lowering his voice, he added, "It is what my brother wanted, after all." Neji's white gaze fell to his plate and Hinata and Hanabi looked awkwardly between their father and their cousin. After a moment of tense and nostalgic silence, Hiashi and Neji looked up. Hiashi smiled.

"Well, food does us no good should it never leave our plates," he said, regaining his former pleasantness. "Shall we begin?" Hinata nodded somewhat vigorously; glad the awkward topic of the deceased man that had brought Neji here had been dropped. Neji delicately fingered his fork and took a small bite of the food before him, sampling it. Oyako-donburi. It tasted just as it should. He particularly liked the sliced vegetables that were scattered over the top of the delicious rice.

Neji watched as Hiashi and Hanabi began a discussion about why she shouldn't skip three grades and go right to high school. She had argued that she was intelligent enough and that her athletic abilities combined with the effort she put in were more than sufficient, but Hiashi had said that a level of maturity was required as one moved up through the grades; a level that she had not reached. Though Neji didn't voice his opinion, he agreed with Hiashi. He had experienced firsthand the level of her maturity, and, were it to be measured on a scale of one to ten, it would be at about a two.

Hinata had, by then inserted herself into the conversation, speaking of some happening or another that occurred at her own school, ignoring Hanabi's death glare. Neji eyed the younger girl warily, but had dropped his gaze back to his oh-so-interesting food after a moment. He marveled over how _normal _this family; his family; was. Hanabi, the younger of the two siblings, wished to break free from the constricting shell of a child and prove that she could be a mature young lady. Hinata, the elder of the two, wished to fit in with the group of adolescents surrounding her who were unconsciously or consciously pressuring her. Hiashi was the loving and caring father of them and he was always confronted with their problems, sometimes voicing his irritation at having to be bothered with such trifle tribulations, other times, welcoming their confusion and making loving attempts to put an end to it. _The only thing. _Neji noted. _The only thing they need is a mother. _But he had not brought them a mother. He had brought them more troubles to deal with; the troubles of a growing teen with nothing but self pity and a cold exterior who never let anyone in. _And the inhuman part about that. _Neji thought. _Is that I don't care. _Neji sighed as Hiashi spoke to him.

"Neji," he said, making a kind attempt to bring the young boy into the conversation. "Do you have hobbies?" Neji internally rolled his eyes and sighed exasperatedly, but he answered externally.

"Hai, Hiashi-sama," he replied. "I enjoy art, sketching in particular, and I also enjoy playing the piano." He stopped and took another bite of his food. Hiashi, sensing that the brunette wouldn't add anything else, made a remark on that which was already stated.

"Do you consider yourself a talented pianist?" he asked. Neji inclined his head.

"I don't mean to sound proud," he said. "But I personally consider myself a talented pianist, yes." Hiashi nodded but it was Hanabi who spoke, glaring at Neji through her jet black bangs.

"You should play a piece for us sometime," she said icily. "We have a piano in the family room. You may feel free to use that." Neji looked at her.

"Arigato, Hanabi-san," he said. Hanabi made a small noise that sounded to Neji like a scoff, before she averted her eyes. He raised an eyebrow, but looked away after preventing himself from retorting. He turned his attention back to Hiashi, who was far from being proud of his daughter's behavior, but did agree with her.

"You may feel free to use the piano anytime you wish," he said. "And should you ever feel the need to play something for us, we will listen." Neji locked eyes with him and they both silently agreed on one thing; that would never happen.

Hinata turned to her cousin and her mouth twitched into a shy smile.

"Neji-nii-san," she said timidly. "Wh-when are you g-going to come t-to the h-high school?" Neji turned to look at her.

"I'm actually going tomorrow," he said matter-of-factly. "And Hiashi-sama has assured me that I will fit in very well. Do you agree?" Hinata blushed at having to give such an opinion that had the potential to get him so angry at her should she say something wrong.

"W-well, I th-think that y-you won't have t-trouble fitting in," she said. "P-people there are g-generally very nice to new s-students." She immediately looked away after giving this answer and looked down modestly as though expecting Neji to scold her. She was surprised when he didn't.

"Thank you, Hinata-san," he said. "That makes me feel a lot better about this." He tried to smile at her, but couldn't, as his muscles seemed to forget how, so he just looked at her in what he hoped was an assuring way. He was growing a little on Hinata.

As dinner continued, Hiashi and Hanabi began another debate and Hinata soon joined, bringing the level of tension back down again, and Neji watched, something tugging slightly at his heart, which he was surprised at, as he didn't think his heart could feel anymore. The meal ended fairly soon and Neji offered to clean the table. Hiashi had protested but Neji had countered by saying, "I am treated now as a member of this family, and that includes chores." That effectively silenced Hiashi and he reluctantly agreed and told Hanabi and Hinata to excuse themselves, which they both did, Hanabi leaving pointedly and Hinata bowing out timidly. Neji then proceeded to clear the plates and clean the table, which actually was void of any food stains. Hiashi stood and watched his nephew.

"Thank you, Neji for coming to us," he said quietly and unsurely, betraying his normally confident and strong air. Neji's arm froze, suspended, ready to pick up Hinata's food plate. He turned his head slowly to face Hiashi's and looked at him metallically. For once he didn't quite know what to say, so he settled for silence. Hiashi, understanding Neji's unsure and perplexed silence, nodded and turned to leave. Neji's eyes, watching him, were the only parts of his body capable of moving at that point. After his uncle had left, though, they too became limp and swiveled forward to rest his gaze on the table, not really seeing it. He breathed in and out, steadily, but in a forced way. His uncle had sounded so sincere. As though he had been waiting for this. Not for Neji's father to die, but for meeting the brunette Hyuuga, the object of his brother's immense joy and love. It hit Neji harder than one would expect. But, of course, after a moment, his body regained the ability to function and his arms continued to move, his mind brushing the emotion aside, as it had done to so many others.

Neji finished cleaning the dishes quickly and glanced at a clock hanging on the far wall of the kitchen. 7:56. It wasn't even eight o'clock and already, Neji wanted to go to bed. He closed his eyes and sighed. He would just have to wait in the garden until the time came for him to sleep. It's not as if he wouldn't be doing anything.

Placing the last dish in the dish wrack to dry, Neji quickly dried his own hands with a towel and hurried from the kitchen to the garden. He was surprised when he got outside, however, to find somebody else already out there. Hinata was standing on the path, swaying right and left slightly, as though waiting for something. When Neji approached her she gasped and turned, but then smiled at seeing who it was.

"N-Neji-nii-san," she said. "I h-have something I w-want to s-show you." She looked at him hesitantly, as though expecting him to refuse, but he nodded.

"Alright, Hinata-san," he said. "Lead the way." She nodded hastily and said a quick, "H-hai!" She turned and walked through the garden, taking the path of least resistance to the gate that surrounded them. Neji honestly had no idea where she was going or what she was doing, so he followed in silence. After a few moments and after they had left the safety the gate provided and ventured into the lighter part of the forest, Hinata turned to Neji.

"Uh…" she began almost inaudibly. "I-I noticed how m-much you like t-the garden, s-so I thought I sh-should show you th-this." Neji nodded and Hinata turned and continued walking.

They came to a small clearing after a moment and Neji's eyes widened slightly. What he saw amazed him. There, in the center of the clearing was a beautiful sakura tree, standing alone, yet tall and proud. Its trunk was thick and slightly twisted, but in a graceful and elegant way. It was covered with the many sakura blooms that entranced Neji, looking at him softly with their lightly pink-tinted petals, ruffling and swaying in the slight breeze. The other trees seemed to bow in recognition and Neji soon felt his own knees become slightly weak. He turned to his smiling cousin next to him.

"It's…" his voice broke off, and Hinata's smile faltered. She clearly mistook his awe for disappointment and looked down ashamedly.

"I-if you don't like it, N-Neji-nii-san, w-we can go n-now," she said quickly. Neji only looked at her.

"Why would I want to leave?" he asked incredulously. "This is magnificent." His pearly eyes moved to rest on the enchanting sakura tree and his lips parted slightly to allow a small breath of wonder to escape him. Beside him, Hinata smiled, relieved and slightly proud of herself for pleasing the normally indifferent boy so much.

"Th-this is the s-sakura tree father planted wh-when mother died," she said, her voice faltering here and there. Neji turned to face her at hearing the end of her sentence. He looked into her eyes and found that he saw pain similar to his lodged beneath the many layers of timidity and concern. He felt his look soften, though only slightly.

"I'm sorry, Hinata-san," he said softly. Hinata blushed furiously.

"Y-you don't n-need to s-say that, Neji-nii-san," she said hurriedly. "I still have m-my father, and m-my sister, and y-you. It's n-not that bad." Neji blinked and felt what seemed like the first real emotion in a long time. It still wasn't enough to make him smile, but he felt as though a small section of his heart had been mended. Slowly, very slowly, Neji lifted his hand and placed it on Hinata's shoulder, looking at her meaningfully. She started at the contact, but returned his gaze after a moment and smiled softly. The touch was awkward, but it helped both the shy young girl and the hurt young boy take a large step forward in their relation.

Neji's heart, though, was still in pieces.

* * *

**After a few reviews and many rereadings I have decided to continue this fanfic, but I still need critiquing. Please review!**


	3. Konoha High

Hinata had offered to stay with Neji, but he had insisted that she go back. He didn't know how long he would be sitting out there, with the serene and understanding sakura tree. She had reluctantly agreed and left, turning only once to watch him sit lightly down before the tree, watching it intently. She let out a breath of contentment and turned to head back. Neji was now left alone in the clearing, his mind churning so slowly, it may not have been working at all. His heart slowed itself rapidly, but not enough to endanger him. His breathing came out calmly and quietly, but every breath that escaped him was drenched with awe and amazement. It's pointless now to attempt to describe the immensely complex emotions he was feeling, so I will be quick in saying that they were emotions he never felt before, and they, for some reason didn't bother him.

Neji soon found himself in an unusual situation. He had fallen asleep in the clearing. He felt his eyelids begin to droop, after becoming incredibly heavy, and his vision blurred slightly with every jerk of his eyelids. The sakura tree seemed to reach out to him and the soft pink petals on the ground before him blew up and into his face, caressing him and enticing him into sleep. Neji's eyes finally closed and he felt himself fall to the side. He heard a distant and soft thump as his light body hit the ground gracelessly. His lips were still parted and his eyes were softly shut, the sakura petals resting at his side, as though protecting him. Neji's sleep was surprisingly serene and dreamless…

He awoke, surprised to find his body nestled underneath the sakura tree. He lifted himself up and put a pale delicate hand to his head. He blinked away the sleep and grogginess from his eyes and looked around. The inferior trees still surrounded him and the pink sakura petals still littered the ground. Neji wondered briefly how he ended up in the shelter of the sakura tree. He shut his eyes tightly, trying to remember what had happened. When he opened his eyes, he looked up and his breath stopped sharply.

Standing before him, in the last dress she had ever worn, was Neji's mother. Her eyes looked upon him lightly and looked as though they were made of white glass. Her skin was a beautiful cream color and looked to be more translucent than water. Her hair was brunette and long, like her son's. Her lips were full and smiling, and her hands reached out to Neji, who stood jerkily and hesitated.

"Don't worry, Neji, it's me," she whispered. Neji made a small noise that sounded like a squeak and he ran to her, wrapping his arms around her and burying his head against her. He wasn't crying yet, but he knew he would be.

"This is a dream," Neji said. "It has to be." He heard his mother laugh softly, like the tinkling of bells.

"Then it's a good dream," she said back to him. Neji's arms tightened around his mother, but her arms just rested softly over his back.

"I've missed you," she murmured into his hair. Neji felt the emotions more acutely than ever.

"Why did you choose now to come to me?" he asked, his voice shaking.

"That's why," she answered. Neji looked up at her, confused and she just smiled.

"If I had come sooner," she explained. "You would have asked me why I died. You've matured." Neji's eyes watered and he felt the moisture building up, the tears pushing against his eyes to escape. He closed his eyes and let the tears fall, this time, three or four. Neji wasn't usually one to bawl or sob, but now, he wept. His mother held him tenderly.

"Hiashi is a good person, Neji," she said. "Trust him. For your sake, not mine." Neji's body tensed and then relaxed.

"If it is for you, then I can trust him," he said, guiltily. "But, if it is for me, then I cannot." Neji's mother smiled.

"I understand," she said. "But, at least be open-minded around him. He has the best of intentions, and I have come to love him as your father did." Neji looked down at the ground beside them, feeling horribly guilty about his inability to place his trust in Hiashi. His mother seemed to sense this.

"Don't let guilt rule you over," she whispered. "You're better than that, I know you are." She slowly and reluctantly pulled away from her son, who protested the loss of contact. She smiled and Neji's expression lightened, though only slightly, and he fixed the image of her smile permanently in his mind.

"Good luck at school," his mother said. And then Neji woke. Really.

His eyes snapped open and he bolted up. He looked around wildly for any sign of his mother, even though he knew it had been a dream. A good dream, as he remembered her saying. He quickly calmed down and noticed that he was still in the shade of the sakura tree, as he had been in his dream. He looked up and saw that the blooms seemed to shine in the reflection of the light sun; the morning sun. Neji stood slowly and he stepped away from the sakura tree, never once taking his eyes off of it as it basked in the light of dawn. He let out a deep breath to calm his nerves. His gaze remained drawn to the tree and then he remembered the last thing his mother had said to him.

_"Good luck in school." _

School. He had school today. Quickly, without a glance back, Neji turned and bolted through the forest. He reached the garden in a matter of minutes and hurried through the pathways, careful not to harm any of the flowers. He burst through the door and saw that Hanabi and Hinata were both still there. That was a good sign. Panting slightly, Neji walked into the dining room and saw that Hiashi had left a beige backpack on the table. His backpack. Neji tried to calm his breathing as he went to retrieve it.

"Where were you?" Hanabi's snide voice sounded in his ears, and Neji almost sighed. Was he really destined to be chastised by his little cousin for the rest of his life here? He certainly hoped not, but he knew that she would continue if he rose to the bait. So he kept his silence, too intelligent and lazy to come up with a sharp comeback. Hanabi raised her brow in response to his silence.

"Am I supposed to accept that as an answer?" she asked pointedly. Neji looked at her.

"Hanabi, I am confused," he said coolly. "Which question am I supposed to answer?" Hanabi went slightly red from anger. She opened her mouth, as though to say something, but then closed it again. She shut her eyes, shook her head and left the room, muttering to herself. Neji's attention, which was never fully on her, returned to his new backpack. He rifled through the pockets, looking at his new notebooks, memorizing the labels, taking in the sight of his pencil case and the utensils inside of it. He was surprised when he opened a small front pocket and found a cell phone. There was a note next to it that revealed to Neji his cell number, as well as his new home phone number and the cell numbers of Hiashi, Hinata and Hanabi, though he was a little unclear as to why he would need to contact the youngest sibling. He replaced the note in his bag, memorizing all of the numbers on it and picked the backpack up off the table. He went to the hall by the front entrance and found Hinata's backpack there, next to Hanabi's. He placed his down and turned to walk to the kitchen, but glancing at a clock hanging by the door. 6:40. He needed to leave at seven o'clock, with Hinata. He had twenty minutes to do everything he would've normally done in one hour. Eat, shower, brush his teeth, and check to make sure all of his school supplies were ready, though that one was already done for him. Neji ultimately decided that he would shower first and take a small breakfast to school with him should he need to. Besides, it only took him about ten minutes to shower. He always kept his hair very neat and without knots or tangles, and he let the air dry it. A hairdryer would just tangle his hair again.

So Neji made his way to the upstairs bathroom, but bumped into Hinata halfway up the stairs. She looked surprised.

"Oh! Neji-nii-san!" she exclaimed. "I-I was just about to get you! I-I didn't know when you'd be coming back. Are you r-ready to go?" Neji nodded.

"I just need to take a shower," he said. "Do you have anything that I might take to school that would serve as a decent breakfast?" Hinata blushed a little but nodded.

"I-I'll go and get it!" she stuttered, hurrying around him rather clumsily, and nearly falling over twice. Neji watched in stunned amusement. Yes, he was slightly sadistic. He shook his head and turned to head to the bathroom.

He had only ever used this bathroom a few times, and hadn't quite mastered the shower yet. And now, time was a luxury he couldn't afford. He walked into the rather large bathroom, closing and locking the door behind him, and went over to the small, square, secluded area that was the shower. He pulled back the curtain and turned the knob. The water came down lightly and with almost no water pressure at all. At that rate, it would take Neji's hair twenty minutes just to get wet. He sighed and looked up to the nozzle that released the water. There was an iron ring around it that seemed to stick out and little pictures covered it. Neji knew what these were of course, but he had never used on before. He closed his eyes slightly and then opened them, reaching out to turn the ring. The picture changed and the water came out slightly harder. The Hyuuga shook his head. This would have to do. Quickly, he stripped his clothes off and stepped into the hot water, pulling the curtains closed behind him.

As he had predicted, he finished his shower in no more than about twelve minutes. He stepped out of the shower, combed his hair, towel dried his hair and dressed himself in another five. He would just have to brush his teeth after school, he supposed. He quickly glanced at himself in the mirror, making sure that his appearance was alright. He may not have cared about most other things, but Neji was still a teenager, and all teenagers cared somewhat about their reputations and first impressions.

Neji descended the stairs, checking the clock as he went. 6:58. Time to leave. Neji found Hinata and Hanabi grabbing their backpacks in the front hallway and he followed suit. Hinata, at seeing him, smiled and held out a granola bar. Neji thanked her and took the bar. He quickly put on his shoes and looked around.

"Where's Hiashi-sama?" he asked. Hanabi answered halfway out the door.

"He always leaves this early for work," she stated, her voice still edgy and sharp. "He only stayed yesterday to make sure you got settled okay." And then she was gone. Hinata looked mortified.

"P-please, Nii-san," she said apologetically. "Don't let Hanabi get to you. S-she doesn't realize what she says half the t-time." Neji shook his head, waving the apology away.

"It's alright, Hinata-san," he said. "It's not as though my manners around her are perfect." Hinata went red and nodded.

"Well then, sh-shall we go?" she asked, beckoning to the door.

"After you," Neji agreed. Hinata's blush deepened and she rushed quickly out of the house, followed by Neji, who closed and locked the tall blue door as he was instructed by Hiashi the previous day. Hinata was already on the gravel path and Neji had to jog slightly to catch up. He slowed his pace to match hers once he was beside her. They walked in silence as they left the driveway, Neji, eating his "breakfast." Hinata to his left and him to her right. He could feel the intense discomfort emanating from her as they walked. _Incredible. _He thought. _Even after the previous day she still hasn't loosened up around me. At least she's not stuttering as much as before. _He shook his head, but ignored the tense air between them. It wasn't worth his time to try and make conversation with her.

They walked slowly through the forest, Neji taking in every detail and enjoying the luxury of being able to walk down the path at his own pace, rather than have the scenery fly by the murky window of a speeding car. He sighed serenely and let his eyes blink shut a moment longer than was necessary. So far, things were going fairly well in this new life of his. His mind floated back to his dream in which his mother was still alive, and his heart stung slightly. He missed her. And seeing her like that had only increased the emotion more. Neji's eyes opened again and he resigned himself to the slightly empty, yet peaceful feeling.

However, this feeling of tranquility ended all too soon as the two young Hyuuga teens emerged from the path and found their way to a paved sidewalk that led to the huge building that was Konoha High. Neji's eyes darted this way and that, as he remembered the building from a few days ago. Something was different about it today. It might have been the fact that he was approaching it from the opposite direction from before. Maybe it was because it had been raining that day, and the sun was shining this day. Although Neji had to say, that the most likely reason was that, today, it was swarming with teenagers.

Tall, short, fat, thin, ugly, pretty, they were all there. Every adolescent in the universe, according to Neji. The brunette boy, until now, had always enjoyed the privilege of going to a small school with only so many kids per grade. This was a rather drastic change for him. And he couldn't honestly say that he liked it. On the contrary. He _dis_liked it. Almost hated it. Still, he would have to endure. He sighed and followed Hinata as she walked up the pathway and onto the campus. Neji noticed that there were still hints of the rainfall of a few days previous. The dirt was still moist and the sidewalk still sported wet patches here and there.

"Neji-nii-san," Hinata penetrated his thoughts with her soft understated voice. "I'll take you to the principal's office so you can get your schedule." Neji nodded, not failing to notice the complete lack of hesitation in her.

"Arigato, Hinata-san," he said, trying to keep the distaste he felt deep within him from escaping through his voice. "How much time do we have before we're due to our first class?" Hinata shrugged.

"Well," she said. "I can probably get a pass for mine, and because you're new, they'll excuse your l-lateness." Neji nodded.

"Alright, so, where is the principal's office?" he asked. Hinata motioned for him to follow, which he did. The pair dodged around the many teenagers littering the hall, all of whom created a very chaotic and somewhat confused air. Neji's opinion of this school worsened. He grimaced as someone bumped his shoulder in their haste to get to their class. Neji felt his thin brow rise as he saw a group of girls form a circle directly in the middle of the hall, impeding his and Hinata's progress. Hinata stopped unsurely, not knowing what to do next. Neji sighed, took her hand, and started to break through the clique, sending the girls scattering momentarily before they flocked back together, like birds on a cable line. He ignored their whispers after him, choosing not to hear the one about his ass that had come from the girl nearest him. He simply rolled his eyes.

"Be a little more assertive, Hinata-san," he said. "Being late to class because you're too polite to ask ignorant teenage girls to move is never the way to go." Hinata went red from embarrassment but nodded. She wriggled her hand from Neji's grasp and kept moving as though nothing had happened. Though she did give the passersby a little more berth after that incident, if that was what it could be called.

After what seemed like hours of weaving in and out of their peers, Neji and Hinata reached the principal's office. There was a name on the door that Neji didn't care to read as he went in. He entered into a well furnished office with a desk in front of a window, numerous bookshelves and a very nice fern in the corner. Neji had to admit it looked very healthy for a potted plant. He fixed his eyes on the figure behind the desk and he felt both of his eyebrows rise considerably. It was a woman. A blonde woman. A blonde woman with two very sharp eyes, a rather excellent figure and possibly the largest bosom Neji had ever seen. She wore make-up, which actually added to her sensuality, but it was not near enough to make Neji stare. His eyes lingered nowhere on her body and fixed themselves on her bright blue ones to let her know that he wasn't your average run-of-the-mill, shallow teenage boy. He was mature. The woman seemed to sense that, as her raised brow lowered and her face, which had been suspicious, returned to what must have been normal for her. She stood as he approached.

"Hyuuga Neji?" she inquired, smirking, as her eyes flashed from him to Hinata, clearly registering the resemblance. "Hyuuga Hinata's cousin?" Neji nodded and bowed.

"Hai," he replied. "Konnichiwa." The woman chuckled.

"Well, you're certainly polite," she remarked. "And pretty cute, too. If I were your age, I'd be all over you." Neji looked at her.

"I'll take that as a compliment," he said. Noticing the name on her desk, he added, "Tsunade-sama." Tsunade smirked.

"As well, you should," she said. "Anyway. Since you're new here, you're going to be receiving quite a bit of leeway for the first few days, but it won't be long before you're going to be expected to handle the work we do here. So don't let it go to your head, okay?" Neji gave her a skeptical look, but only nodded. _I don't recall ever having met anyone quite like her. _He couldn't help but think. Tsunade returned his nod and crossed over to him, handing him a white card.

"Here's your schedule, Neji," she said. She reached out with her other hand and gave Neji a larger piece of paper, this one with the blueprint of what appeared to be the school.

"And that's the map of the school," Tsunade said, confirming Neji's thoughts. "You'll probably be able to find your way around in a few days." Neji nodded and bowed.

"Arigato, Tsunade-sama," he said. Tsunade chuckled and he turned, heading towards the door.

"By the way, how long have you been principal here?" he asked, without turning around. Tsunade paused, thinking.

"Few years," she answered. "Why?" Neji shrugged.

"You seem the type who can handle adolescents well; I'd have thought you were working here longer." He paused before adding, "Thank you for your help. Have a good day." He left, Hinata following him, the red tint in her cheeks deepening. As the door closed, Tsunade leaned against her desk, smirking.

"Well, he handles women with a sureness that can match Kakashi, and he's ten times as smooth," she remarked, her black haired secretary looking on interestedly. "He's going to fit in easily."

The brunette boy of whom she was speaking had, of course, no idea that his cold indifference would be mistaken for a cool aloofness. He was at that moment, looking over his schedule and tracing a route on the small map with the help of Hinata.

"Room 203, Neji-nii-san," she explained. "That's over here." She pointed to a place on the map that was indeed labeled, "Room 203." Neji sighed heavily, closing his eyes in irritation.

"It's upstairs," he noted. Hinata nodded, shrinking into herself slightly as though it were her fault. Neji, seeing this, shook his head.

"I suppose I'll just have to hurry and hope I'm not late," he said, as the hall, by now, had only a few students remaining, most of them having gone to their classes. "You have your pass, yes?" Hinata blinked and gasped.

"Oh, I forgot!" she exclaimed, her eyes widening slightly as she turned and went back to the office from which they had just emerged.

"Shall I wait for you?" Neji asked. Hinata went bright red.

"No, it's okay, nii-san!" she insisted hurriedly. "You don't want to be too late. I'll see you after class." Neji nodded and watched as she hurried through the principal's door. _Hmm. _He thought. _She's not stuttering so much. Is she becoming more comfortable around me or is it just the environment? _He shrugged, turning away to attempt to find this Room 203. It was actually quite simple. More so than he would have expected. The stairs were in plain sight. Right across from the office. He climbed the rather large staircase swiftly and quickly glanced to his map, seeing that all the rooms that began with the number "2" were to his right and down the hall a ways. He turned, looking down at the floor in front of him as he walked. Eventually, the hall split into two halls, one proceeding straight, and the other going to the left. _Who knew the second floor is so vast. _Neji thought irritably. He continued going straight and eventually saw the number, "201." He stopped and his eyes moved to the room next to that. "Room 203." That was it. Neji walked calmly and passively to said room and knocked twice. Manners were second nature to him. The teacher, whom he had heard talking, went silent and opened the door. Neji found himself staring into the face of a very tall man with silver hair and a dark green turtle neck that actually extended past his mouth. Neji's brow rose unconsciously. The man rolled his eyes.

"Cold sore," he explained, sighing, as though he had had to say it one more time than he would've liked. Neji's mouth made a silent "Ah" of acceptance. The man looked at Neji.

"Hyuuga Neji?" he inquired. Neji nodded, stoic. The man nodded and stood to the side of the threshold, granting Neji entrance into the room. The tall Hyuuga boy walked calmly into the room, going to the center front and scanning the class with critical eyes. The desks were all in rows, typical, and there was a seat right smack in the middle that had obviously been reserved for him. He began to make his way towards it, but felt a hand on his shoulder, stopping him. Realizing that an introduction was coming, Neji resisted the impulse to roll his eyes. He stepped back and stood, straight and stiff, while the teacher looked at him curiously. The silver haired man shook his head slightly and turned to the class before him, all of them, for once, rapt with attention.

"This is Hyuuga Neji," he said, no hint of emotion in his voice. "He's new here. Make a good impression. Naruto, don't screw this up." Neji looked slightly puzzled, but then he saw a blonde with wild hair smirking like crazy at the back and he assumed that that was Naruto. The man turned to him.

"Do you want to tell us anything about yourself?" he asked, still sounding bored.

"No," Neji said, walking to the seat in the middle. Taking his backpack off, he sat down in the seat, leaning against the back while still maintaining perfect posture. All eyes were on him, which, of course, didn't bother him. He sighed and a few girls blushed and looked away. Neji saw that the teacher's back was turned. Hushed whispering broke out immediately. People were leaning over and whispering things in each other's ears. No doubt about Neji. It was subtly done, but it was still audible, at least to Neji. The boy raised his hand. The whispering was silenced. The teacher's back was still turned, but Neji waited patiently for him to see his hand. All eyes were still on the Hyuuga, but Neji acted as though they weren't positively gawking at him.

"You have a question, Neji?" the teacher asked, facing Neji, his face slightly pink from what he was doing a few moments ago. Neji ignored it and put his hand down.

"Didn't catch your name," he said bluntly. The teacher blinked.

"Hatake Kakashi," he said. Neji bowed his head forward.

"Arigato, Hatake-sensei," he recited, the words coming out of his mouth memorized and well worn, now leaving them void of any real meaning. The silver haired teacher blinked, shrugged and proceeded with whatever the hell he was talking about before Neji arrived, which just happened to be the proper placement of an apostrophe in a possessive noun. Neji zoned out after that, his mind still working and taking in information, but in a clear deadpan.

By the end of class, Neji may as well have been dead. Not only did the teacher drone on and on about verbs and nouns and such, but halfway through the class, Naruto had decided to have some fun and had flung a pencil at Kakashi. However, due to some mistake on his part that could accurately be called unintelligence, he had miscalculated and the pencil ended up veering towards Neji who had brought a hand up and caught it, cool as you please, before it could do any harmful facial damage. Neji had taken that moment to look at Naruto's apologetic face before getting up from his seat, crossing over to Naruto's and giving the pencil back to the rather surprised blonde. The Hyuuga had then returned to his seat and had waited out the rest of class in a dead silence, leaving Naruto and many others watching him curiously.

Now, as he was leaving, the pathetic blonde boy came up to him boldly.

"Hey, Hyuuga-san," he started, his boyish voice sounded excited and hyperactive. "Sorry about the whole pencil thing. Good catch, though! That was awesome! Where'd you learn that?" Neji looked at this boy with a cynical look. Did he _really _have to talk to this insane person? He didn't want to, oh he didn't want to. But. _He won't let me go until I do._ He sighed.

"I didn't learn it," he said. "It's reflexes." Naruto looked fascinated and nodded eagerly, as though hoping Neji would reveal more. When the brunette didn't, the blonde blinked once and then hastily changed the subject.

"I'm Uzumaki Naruto," he said, grinning broadly. Neji inclined his head.

"Hyuuga Neji," he replied. Naruto raised an eyebrow.

"I already know your name," he pointed out dumbly. Neji nodded.

"I know, but it's a formal introduction," he said. Naruto laughed and shook his head.

"Not when you're with other kids!" he said wholeheartedly. "I don't know if you came from a damn private school, but you're going to have to learn a few things about how kids at Konoha High act!" Clapping a hand on Neji's shoulder, and ignoring the other's wince, Naruto led Neji off down the now crowded hallway towards some destination that was unknown to the Hyuuga.

They had been talking, or rather Naruto had been talking, of completely pointless garbage for about five minutes before Neji finally broke away from Naruto and turned down the sophomore's hallway. Naruto looked puzzled.

"Are you a sophomore?" he asked. Neji turned to him and nodded, slightly confused.

"Why?" he inquired. "Aren't you?" Naruto shook his head vehemently.

"No, I'm a freshman!" he declared. Neji only looked at him.

"And was that a freshmen English class?" he asked, a feeling of foreboding taking him over. Naruto looked at him before slowly nodding.

"Yeah, it was," he said. "Why? Are you supposed to be in an AP class or something?" Neji looked down at the floor, his milky eyes showing nothing but utter thoughtfulness. He looked up after a moment and stepped up to the Uzumaki.

"Tell me how many of these classes are freshmen classes," he demanded, holding out his schedule. Naruto looked over his schedule, his blue eyes moving swiftly over the small typed letters. He pointed out two other classes that were freshmen only; P.E. and art. Neji sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose.

"I suppose I should talk to someone about how my schedule was screwed up," he said. "Who do I talk to about that?" Naruto scrunched up his face, thinking.

"I think you talk to Shizune-sama," he said. "The old hag's secretary."

"And by 'old hag' you mean..?" Neji left the statement open, so Naruto could answer.

"Tsunade," the blonde said simply. Neji nodded, after giving Naruto a skeptical look.

"Alright," he said. "Arigato, Naruto." He turned and walked back to the stairs, leaving Naruto rather disconcerted.

Neji sighed. So early in the day and already he found a serious problem. He retraced his steps unenthusiastically, walking down the stairs and across the hall into the principal's office. The first thing he saw upon entering was that Tsunade was talking angrily to a rather irritated looking brunette boy with hair just as wild and messy as Naruto's. Neji couldn't see the boy's face but he couldn't help but think of a dog as the boy made an angry noise deep within his throat. Neji took a step back to give them some room and to avoid receiving any potential accusations of eavesdropping.

"Excuse me, may I help you?" Neji turned and found himself looking into the kind face of a black haired woman he had seen sitting at a smaller desk beside Tsunade's. He supposed this must be Shizune.

"Shizune-sama?" he inquired, looking at her. The woman smiled and nodded.

"Hai," she replied. "And you are Neji-san, correct?" Neji nodded and bowed.

"Konnichiwa," he said and Shizune inclined her head in reply.

"What can I do for you?"

"Well, actually," Neji began passively. "I would like to know why I am in a freshman class." He held out his schedule casually and Shizune bent over slightly to read it. As her eyes scanned the card, her face slowly became apologetic and somewhat sheepish.

"Gomen, Neji-san," she said somewhat diffidently. "That was the closest thing we could find to a decent English class that actually had an empty slot. The other ones were during English detentions." Neji blinked at her look of mortification and then gracefully waved his hand, sending the signal that it didn't matter, although it most certainly did, and they both knew it.

"It's alright, Shizune-sama," he said. "I don't mind. I trust the same applies to P.E. and art?" Shizune tilted her head in slight agreement.

"Not quite," she said, contrition still slightly noticeable in her tone. "There was only one sophomore P.E. class open but then you wouldn't be able to take art this year, and your uncle expressed to us that art was one of your passions. However, the only art class that works out with your schedule was another all freshmen class too." She stopped and looked at Neji, hoping he would find this acceptable. The brunette boy lost no composure as he assured her it was alright. Shizune did not look convinced but she eventually resigned to his insisting that the schedule was fine. She saw him out and then shook her head, not fooled for a moment.

Neji looked at his schedule and lamented having to go upstairs again, this time to a "Room 515" for history. He made his way back to the familiar staircase and begrudgingly climbed the stairs that seemed to mock him with every step. He ignored the virtual mocking and thought quietly to himself. This was most definitely not a good start to his new life.

* * *

**Okay, yeah I thought there were some major choppy parts, but overall I thought I did a pretty good job. **

**Sasuke will be introduced in the next chapter, so keep reading, please!! **

**Gawd I cannot WAIT until the summer!! School has been completely destroying me! Only three more final exams to go!! **

**WHOOOO!!**


	4. Lunch with Sasuke

He walked the hall the same way he had before, except, he turned left when the hall branched out. He remembered that all rooms beginning with "5" were down this hallway. Similar to before, he spotted a room that sported a number that began with "5" and had scanned all the doors until he found Room 515. He sighed. _This is going to be repetitive. _He thought accurately. He walked to the door and knocked twice. Once again, he heard speech cease and the door was opened, this time to reveal a woman. A very fierce looking woman with deep violet hair kept up in a messy ponytail looked down at him. Her bangs were wild and framed her face. Her eyes were a sharp violet-grey. She looked him over once, almost as though appraising him, before barking, "You're Hyuuga Neji, right?" Neji bowed and nodded.

"Hai," he replied. The woman raised a thin brow and smirked. One look at her face and Neji knew what she was thinking; _prep._ He let out a breath and calmly asked her what he may call her.

"The name's Miturashi Anko, kid," she had replied forcefully. Neji had then felt a strong urge to say something back to her but had controlled it, as he always did. Instead, he let her lead him into the room and stood as she yelled at her class, which seemed much older than Kakashi's.

"This is Hyuuga Neji, a new student here," she had yelled. "I expect you to treat him with the utmost respect." Neji couldn't help but notice that she smirked at saying this last sentence. It was also evident that half the class smirked as well. Neji blinked. _They're probably part of a conspiracy against new students. _He thought in a bored way. Without a sound or any signs of caring, Neji walked to the seat she had instructed him was his. It was right in the front. Perfect. Neji sat down, his backpack which was still with him, now underneath his desk. There were people sitting on either side of him. One was a black haired boy with the largest eyebrows Neji had ever seen who sported the most ridiculous soup-bowl haircut to go with them. He was positively beaming at Neji, who ignored him determinedly, though the Hyuuga found it hard not to stare at those bushes above his eyes that almost seemed alive. On Neji's other side a girl with brunette hair similar to his smiled kindly at him. She kept her hair tied in two buns at the top of her head. Her eyes were a sparkling brown color that reminded Neji of the bark of a tree. He ignored her as well.

Had he been sitting in the back he might have been able to see who was staring at him, but, since he was in the front and didn't really feel like turning around, he simply dealt with it for the rest of the incredibly unusual and long class. When it had finished he stood and turned to see a boy with raven colored hair looking at him. _I suppose that's him. _Neji concluded. He wondered why the boy didn't look away even though Neji knew he had been staring and was now glaring at him, as though commanding him to stop. Neji noticed that the look in the boy's eyes was not appraising, nor was it mocking. He was just looking at Neji as though he were memorizing his sight, something that every normal person did when they met or saw someone new. The Hyuuga returned this look, memorizing the boy's features and appearance as well. His hair, aside from being a very interesting raven color, was short and spiked at the back, though two messy strands fell to his chin at the front. His eyes were a dull black that looked just as passive and indifferent as Neji's, and when looked at in the right light, appeared red. He was slender and tall, about Neji's height, though maybe slightly taller, and he wore tight jeans and a formfitting sleeveless black shirt. In appearance, and with the exception of his eyes, he was Neji's exact opposite.

Neji turned away after a moment and collected his backpack, preparing to leave, but then he heard someone speak to him. When he looked over, he saw that it was the smiling black haired big-eyebrow-ed boy who had been sitting next to him.

"Konnichiwa, new and youthful friend!" he said loudly, almost shouting. Neji had to hide a grimace.

"Konnichiwa," he said civilly, though slightly coolly. "Who are you?" The boy winked and grinned, pointing to himself with his thumb.

"I am Rock Lee!" he announced. "Handsome, academically superior green beast of Konoha High!" Neji could only look at him as he said this. It took him a while to come out of his trance. He blinked.

"Nice to meet you, Rock Lee," he said. "I'm Hyuuga Neji." Lee looked slightly put out at Neji's closed tone. But he continued with his onslaught.

"Where do you come to Konoha from, Neji-san?" he asked. Neji looked at him sharply. The casual tone Lee was using when referring to his previous home just got on his nerves.

"I don't feel comfortable talking about that," he said stiffly. With that Neji turned and left the classroom, leaving Lee staring confusedly after him. The brunette girl walked up behind him, shaking her head.

"Lee, baka, you can't just bring that up out of the blue like that," she reprimanded. "Of course he's going to feel uncomfortable about it." Lee looked at her sheepishly.

"Hai, Tenten-san," he agreed. "I'll go apologize to him later!"

He had no way of knowing that Neji never wanted to come across him again. The brunette Hyuuga was now on his way to his third class, for which he had no hope would be any better than those preceding it. He had of course, resigned himself to the fact that this school sucked. To put it simply.

His next classes, as he predicted, were just as horrible as the first two. Math, science, art, P.E. and then finally, lunch. All of them, with the exception of lunch, had involved him being introduced to a group of his peers, some whispers and mutterings and then occasionally, an unnecessary greeting from someone he had already been unfortunate enough to meet, for example, Naruto and Rock Lee, the latter apologizing vehemently for offending him during second period.

Lunch was probably the worst. Neji was plucked from the lunch line by Naruto and forced to the blonde's table, which, to Neji's dismay, was packed. Going down the list, there was a girl with pink hair, whom Neji recognized from English and P.E., and she sat next to a girl with blonde hair who also shared a few classes with him. There was the girl with the brunette hair kept up in buns, who Neji had discovered, was called Tenten, and next to her sat the brunette boy Neji had seen earlier in Tsunade's office. He even looked a little like a dog. His eyes were incredibly easy to read, right now they said, "I'm in a bad mood, mess with me, you die." He was grinning in a way that almost looked as though he were baring fangs, and on his face were two red, upside down triangles. On his left sat a boy with short brunette hair that was just as crazy as the other's. This boy had an expression much closer to the one Neji was wearing and had on a pair of the darkest sunglasses the Hyuuga had ever seen. He looked annoyed and the source of his annoyance was not hard to find. Lee sat across from him and was attempting to engage him in animated conversation. The excited youth looked up and shouted a greeting to Naruto and Neji before turning back to the boy across from him. Next to Lee sat a very evil looking redhead with startlingly green eyes that were simply covered with well-applied black mascara. This boy simply looked at Neji, unblinking and unnerving. Neji held his gaze for a moment before looking away, irritated. The redhead turned his head away and resumed his blank stare at nothing in particular. Next to the redhead sat a rather plump boy who was most definitely taking advantage of the given lunch period. He looked up at Neji and made an effort to smile without opening his mouth, which actually resulted in a very funny face between a goofy grin and a smirk. Neji did a very good job at hiding his disdain, but it took a great amount of effort. He had to control a sigh as Naruto went over the names. Sakura, Ino, Tenten, Kiba, Shino, Lee, Gaara and Chouji. Neji's mind unwillingly committed the names and appearances to memory and he reluctantly sat down next Naruto. His eyes scanned the lunch room and he saw the black haired boy from his history class as well as others sitting at a much less crowded table. Neji noticed that the people at his table all looked generic in terms of what they wore and how they acted. There was a boy there who looked to be a junior or senior, and who looked exactly like the raven haired boy, except with longer hair tied back in a low ponytail. There was a boy with spiky black hair tied back in a ponytail that looked as though it would stab someone if they touched it, and an expression of complete and utter boredom on his face. Next to him sat an extremely unusual boy with a hoodie on, but the hood, which was pulled up over his head, looked as though it had cat ears on it. The boy wore purple make-up all over his face, applied well, but still unusual. It made Neji think of Gaara. Maybe they were related.

The group at that table was like a clique all in itself. One word that basically summed it all up was _cool._ The long haired boy was talking to the boy with the cat-eared-hoodie, while the short haired boy was talking with the spiky haired boy. They were all in their own little world, ignoring the glances that came their way, ignoring the would-be-subtle peeks girls were taking at them. They were the epitome of aloofness.

Naruto caught Neji looking at the boys and smirked.

"That's Uchiha Sasuke, Itachi, Nara Shikamaru and Kankuro," he explained. Neji nodded.

"Which is which?" he asked calmly. Naruto pointed to the one with long raven hair.

"That's Uchiha Itachi," he explained. "He's Uchiha Sasuke's older brother." His finger moved to the boy with the short spiky hair who had been looking at Neji earlier. "Nara Shikamaru has the head that looks like a pineapple." Naruto pointed to the boy with the spiky ponytail who was leaning back casually in his chair, hands behind his head. "And Kankuro's the one with the weird make-up. He's Gaara's brother." Naruto's finger was now pointing at the boy with the purple make-up and cat-ear hoodie. So they were related. Neji nodded.

"Sasuke's the most popular though," Naruto spat, and Neji noticed a hint of jealousy. Neji gave him a sideways glance.

"You sound resentful," he remarked. Naruto scoffed and looked away. Neji sniggered internally. _Jealousy. _He thought wearily. _Commonly found amongst high school adolescents._ His gaze returned to the four-boy table.

"What year are they?" he asked. Naruto's eyes snapped in the direction of the table.

"Sasuke and Shikamaru are freshmen," he said. "Kankuro's a junior and Itachi's a senior." Neji raised his brow.

"Sasuke's a freshman?" he asked, slightly incredulously. Naruto nodded, the look of disgust and envy crossing his face again.

"Yeah, but he's got a bunch of AP classes," he retorted. "'Cause he's so smart." Neji prevented a grin.

"That explains why he was in most of my classes," he noted to himself. Naruto sneered and turned away to talk to Kiba about the perverseness of Kakashi. Neji's eyes lingered on the table consisting of the four passive boys for a moment before turning back to the table at which he was sitting. He was immediately confronted by Ino and Sakura.

"How do you like it here, Neji-kun?" Sakura, the pink haired girl asked.

"It's too soon to tell," he said, the slight lie rolling easily off his tongue. Sakura nodded.

"You seem like a skilled artist," Ino remarked, remembering her art class with the young Hyuuga, and recalling how many terms he knew the meanings of; not to mention the spelling, origin and application of said terms in the practical art world. Neji nodded.

"It's one of my favorite pastimes," he said truthfully. Why should there be reason to lie about that? Sakura looked very interested.

"What do you prefer to use?" she asked. Neji didn't hesitate.

"I prefer to use pastels," he said. "Sketching is close after that. I hate sculpting, though." He had said more than he intended, but that just goes to show how much he did indeed love art. Sakura nodded and Ino smiled.

"I can't wait to see some of your drawings, Neji-kun!" the blonde exclaimed. Neji nodded.

"Thank you," he said. Talking to these people was hard work. Even now, they continued.

"Are you in orchestra or band?" Sakura asked. Neji shook his head.

"No," he replied. Before he could stop himself, he added, "I debated over playing the violin, though." Ino nodded.

"What instrument do you play?" she asked.

"Piano."

"You can be in orchestra and play the piano." Neji looked at the blonde.

"Really?" She nodded.

"You have to have been playing for at least five years, though." Neji's eyes became thoughtful. He could join orchestra as a pianist? Interesting. He had always enjoyed the high and flowing tones of the violin mixed with the slightly more subtle and alto sounds of the viola. What would it sound like if he were to play amidst them, adding his sound to theirs? The thought alone excited Neji more than anything had since his arrival to Konoha High. Perhaps, after lunch he would pay yet another visit to his good friend Tsunade.

"Nii-san?" Neji turned in his seat and saw Hinata timidly approaching him, a tray of food in her hand. Neji stood.  
"Hello, Hinata-san," he said. Hinata went slightly pink.

"So, you've met everyone?" she asked, indicating to the table of people. Neji nodded, as though embarrassed of the company he was now a part of.

"Hai," he replied, glancing at the table. Hinata looked around him and blushed.

"Well, there's only room for ten p-people here," she said, stuttering out of embarrassment. "I g-guess I'll find a seat somewhere else." She turned, about to leave, but Neji stopped her.

"No, you sit here, Hinata-san," he said, glad to have reason to move away from the loud table. "I'll find a new seat." Before Hinata could say or do anything to protest this, Neji had guided her to his seat and forced her into the chair. He quickly turned and left before anyone could notice what he had done, and attempt to get him to come back. His eyes flitted around the room, searching for an empty table. Neji wasn't all that hopeful, however. After one minute he had found that all tables had at least one person and had resigned himself to the table with the least amount of people; Sasuke's table.

Without any sign of hesitation, the brunette boy walked over to the table that seated the four boys. He stopped in front of them and waited patiently for them to notice him. Shikamaru was the first to see him. He looked up and elbowed Sasuke in a "you-take-care-of-it-I'm-too-lazy" kind of way. Sasuke looked up and his eyebrow shot upwards at seeing Neji. Itachi and Kankuro eventually looked as well. It was then that it occurred to Neji how out of place he must have looked. They were wearing their dark shirts and torn jeans and, in Kankuro's case, black cat-eared hoodies, and may as well have been clad in leather; while he, Neji wore a white t-shirt accompanied by a pair long blue shorts and sporting two white sneakers on his feet, made neither for running, nor for any other sport anyone could think of. Of course, though the thought that he was out of place occurred to him, Neji pushed it aside in a moment.

"May I sit here?" he asked casually. Itachi looked to Sasuke and saw that the latter was smirking slightly. The younger Uchiha stood up, walked over to a nearby table and asked a blushing girl if he could use the empty chair beside her. The girl had almost fainted after blushing vehemently, nodded vigorously and shoved the chair to him. Sasuke nodded his thanks and turned back to the table, ignoring the comments and giggles and whispered squeals that were being exchanged behind him. He pushed the chair behind Neji and indicated for him to sit down. Neji nodded to Sasuke and sat. The Uchiha had then proceeded to his own chair and sat casually down, his eyes on the Hyuuga. The table sat in awkward silence for a moment, the four boys watching as Neji ate his lunch quietly, until Sasuke decided to break the tension.

"You're Hyuuga Neji, right?" he asked, his tone hinting slightly that he was amused. Neji's eyes swiveled over to him as he nodded.

"Hai," he replied. "And you're Uchiha Sasuke?" Sasuke's other brow went up.

"You've heard of me?" he inquired, the amusement now coupled with mocking. Neji nodded silently and turned to look at Naruto's table, where Ino and Sakura were whispering to each other excitedly and glancing frequently and secretly at Neji. Sasuke's gaze followed Neji's and he snickered.

"Figures," he said. Neji returned his eyes to the short haired Uchiha.

"You seem to receive quite a lot of attention," he observed. Sasuke scoffed.

"I suppose that's true," he said. "But I've been hearing quite a lot of things about a certain 'cute new kid.' Anyone you know?" Neji saw that Sasuke was wearing a smirk on his face that the former couldn't quite fathom. He raised his brow in response.

"No, I'm not quite sure it is anyone I know," he said coolly, his tone clearly implying that the subject was closed. Itachi smirked at his younger brother and hid a chuckle. This Hyuuga kid was interesting. Kankuro was leaning back in his chair much like Shikamaru, who, like the former, was watching intently.

"Neji, what electives are you taking?" Itachi spoke up. Neji fixed his eyes upon him, disliking how much like Sakura and Ino he sounded.

"Art," he said. Itachi nodded, encouraging him to continue. When he didn't the older boy tilted his head slightly.

"You know you can add to this conversation if you want," he said sarcastically. "It's not really supposed to be one-way." Neji made a small noise.

"Did you want to take any other electives?" the older Uchiha asked, attempting again to make conversation. Neji nodded.

"Orchestra," he said. Sasuke looked at him.

"What do you play?" he asked, slightly interested.

"Piano."

"Why didn't you choose orchestra, then?"

"I wasn't aware that a pianist could be in orchestra."

"Oh. You going to talk to the old bat about that?" Neji gave Sasuke a calculating look.

"You're referring to Tsunade, correct?" he asked. Sasuke laughed.

"Yeah, obviously," he responded. Neji scoffed.

"You sound like Naruto."

"I guess that's what comes from being friends with him."

"You're friends with him?"

"Sure, why wouldn't I be?"

"Why aren't you sitting with him?" Sasuke turned and looked at the loud table that seated the people Naruto was laughing and joking with, before emitting a shudder.

"I'm not a people-person," he said in a straight-forward manner. "I don't know half the people there, so I don't bother with them. Besides, it's just too damn loud over there." Neji nodded, empathizing with him. He returned his attentions to his lunch, deciding not to mention Naruto's jealousy. The others did the same, all turning their gaze back to their food, Shikamaru and Kankuro casting interested glances at Neji every now and again. Neji ignored them.

"You have study hall, right?" Sasuke asked. Neji looked at him.

"Yes."

"What period?"

"Eighth."

"That's the same period that orchestra is. Why don't you go check it out? They write passes for that. You'd be able to decide whether or not you want to change your schedule." Neji's look changed from one of inquiry to one of consideration. He hadn't considered that. Apparently there were a lot of things regarding orchestra he hadn't considered. Neji sighed. His sharp intellect, though it was apparent, did not have the ability of foresight. That was something he would need to work on.

* * *

**OMG, it's Sasuke!! How was he? I thought he was very Sasuke-ish. I, personally like where this story is going, but I need advice and critiques!! **

**I've also been considering giving Sasuke an instrument. Should I? I've been debating over having him play the violin just so he shares a musical interest with Neji. **

**Need opinions on that!!**


	5. Orchestra?

Neji sat in silence for the rest of the lunch period and contemplated the possibility of going to watch the orchestra during his study hall. It might prove to be interesting, especially if the instrumentalists were talented enough to catch his attention. That, Neji ultimately decided, was most definitely worth missing study hall for. When he heard the bell marking the end of lunch, he stood, prepared to leave, but was stopped by Sasuke.

"So are you going to go check out the orchestra? You might like what you see, or what you hear."

"You seem rather determined to get me to watch the orchestra." Scoff.

"Hn. Why, do you want me to be determined to get you to come to orchestra?" Snicker.

"I couldn't care less."

"The feeling's mutual."

"Hm."

Neji turned and walked away, and Itachi walked up to his brother.

"Sasuke, you were so obvious."

Neji walked quickly to the library, where his study hall would be. This time, the room was slightly easier to find because of its large double doors and a large sign that hung overhead, reading, "Library." Neji quickly pulled open the doors and turned into the quiet area. There was a large long counter that had computers placed strategically here and there. There were three women seated behind the counter. Two were having a hushed discussion, the third reading a periodical to herself. _Clearly. _Neji thought. _These are the librarians. _He walked quietly and politely to the one who was reading. He cleared his throat a little and she looked up. Her sharp green eyes bored into his and her graying hair was tied in a tight bun. Her lips were pursed as though she was annoyed that such an insolent child would interrupt her reading.

"Gomen," Neji apologized. "I did not mean to interrupt you, but I would like to know where the study hall group meets." The woman raised an eyebrow, giving her an even more disciplinary look.

"You're new?" she asked. Neji nodded and said, "Hai." The woman pulled out a clipboard and read over the piece of paper to which it was attached.

"Hyuuga Neji?" she asked in the same questioning tone of so many others. Neji had to stifle a sigh.

"Hai," he replied courteously. The woman nodded.

"The study hall meets over there, where all the chairs are," she said, pointing to an area behind the Hyuuga, who looked in the direction she was pointing. He saw the chairs she was referring to, turned back to her and nodded.

"Arigato," he said hastily, before spinning around and hurrying off towards the rather secluded area filled with comfortable looking armchairs. He found a young woman there, looking over something in a black schedule book. Her hair was kept in a casual high ponytail and she looked to be more relaxed than the librarian Neji had just spoken with. He approached her and leaned down slightly.

"Excuse me," he said quietly, as though to imply that he was not trying to interrupt. The woman looked up at him and Neji blinked. She looked as though she might still be in college, or just out of college. Her eyes were round and full of life, her skin without blemishes and her complexion sharp and feminine. She also happened to turn slightly pink at the sight of Neji so close to her.

"Hai, can I help you?" she asked. Even her voice sounded young.

"I hope so," Neji replied. "Are you proctoring the study hall?" The woman nodded and her blush deepened at the slight formality of the question.

"I am," she said. "Who are you?"

"Hyuuga Neji." The woman looked down at her schedule book at a list of names. She checked off one of them, that Neji assumed must have been his. When she looked back up at him she was all smiles.

"I'm Mitsuko," she said. "Basically, all you need for this class is something to do." Neji looked at the list of names.

"Is anyone else coming?" he asked. Mitsuko looked slightly embarrassed.

"If they are they're not going to be on time," she said a little irritably. "Teenagers don't consider study hall a real class. Actually, you're the first one this year to be on time." She looked at him with admiration. Neji, ignoring her behavior towards him, went right to the point.

"Mitsuko-sama," he said, drawing another blush from her. "Could you give me a pass for orchestra? I had considered joining and I want to know what it's like." Mitsuko looked slightly puzzled for a moment, but recovered, nodding slightly, leaning over to a blue and green bag she had at her feet, and pulling out a clip that held together some white slips of paper. She quickly scribbled something onto one of the slips and handed it to Neji.

"Just give that to the orchestra teacher," she said. "I'm sure they'll let you observe, but I've never written a student a pass to something like that before, so I'm not a hundred percent certain." Neji waved her uncertainty away.

"It's alright, Mitsuko-sama," he assured her. "I'll just come back if they don't let me stay." The woman nodded and smiled once more at Neji before wishing him good luck and returning to her black book. Neji turned and swiftly strode out of the library, pulling out his map and scanning it quickly. There was a room labeled, "Freshmen and Senior orchestra room" which Neji suspected was his destination. Using the map as a guide, he walked off at a rather strenuous pace, in the direction of the orchestra room.

He passed by only a few students, and luckily, none of them knew him. It was only a matter of minutes before the brunette boy reached the room from which delicate string music was emanating. He began to feel an unusual excitement, not normally associated with him. He pushed it aside, walking up to the door to the room. He waited until the music stopped suddenly before walking in. He stepped inside and looked around.

All eyes were on him. There were a good amount of students that made up the orchestra, about forty or so. They were all arranged so nicely; violins in the front rows, followed by violas, then cellos at the back, and finally, the bass players, standing with the monstrous instruments resting against them. Neji raised his brow and looked to the teacher. She was a middle aged woman with a small petite figure, dark red hair and glasses hanging on a chain around her neck. She was looking at him with a fascinated look.

"Can I help you, young man?" she asked, stepping down from the podium. Neji bowed.

"Gomen," he apologized. "I'm sorry for interrupting, but I just thought it would be alright if I observed you and your orchestra." The woman looked at him quizzically.

"Do you have reason for speculation?" she inquired seriously. Neji nodded.

"I play the piano and was unaware that pianists could take part in orchestral groups," he said formally. The conductor's eyebrows rose high on her forehead.

"You play the piano?" she clarified. Neji nodded again. The woman's face lit up.

"Well, would you consider playing with us today?" she asked. "We desperately need a pianist for this part. Perhaps, if you enjoy how today goes, you can consider joining orchestra as a permanent member." Neji bowed.

"Arigato," he said. "I would like that. I am Hyuuga Neji, by the way." The woman smiled and introduced herself as Hayashi-sensei, before indicating to a rather worn piano at the back of the room, just next to the basses. As Neji turned to the piano, his eyes caught a glimpse of something; some_one_ familiar. He recognized the spiked black hair, the insolent smirk and the laid back posture in an instant.

"Sasuke?" he asked, disbelieving. The Uchiha boy laughed.

"So, you did come," he observed, smirk still in place. Neji countered the sarcastic smirk with an indifferent shrug of his shoulders.

"It's not like there was much else to do," he stated matter-of-factly. Sasuke scoffed at this, but Neji continued.

"You never told me you played the violin," he accused. Sasuke's eyebrow brow rose.

"You never asked," he shot back. Neji shook his head, internally grinning.

"How well can you play?" he inquired. This time it was Sasuke who shrugged with indifference.

"Pretty well," he said, the smug tone in his voice all too apparent. "You?"

"Ditto," he said.

"Well, I look forward to hearing you."

"Likewise." Neji turned and proceeded to the piano, ignoring the jealous glares that three violinists, two violists and a cellist cast at him. They didn't understand. Sasuke had just spoken more words with this kid in one minute than he had spoken to them in their entire school career! It just wasn't fair. Damn hot guys. They were always so unexpected.

Neji pulled out the piano bench and sat himself gracefully down. His milky white eyes took in the sight of the beautiful instrument before him as he did so. The mahogany wood that formed the body of the piano was smooth and dark. The black and white keys that looked so familiar were so enticing, begging Neji's fingers to gently coax the soft music out of them. Neji let out a wistful breath and tore his eyes away from the piano to look at Hayashi-sensei.

"Neji-san," she said. "We're playing a bit of Mozart's 9th piano concerto, the first movement. The music should be on the stand." Neji looked at the stand and saw that the music was indeed there. He looked it over quickly and immediately recognized the notes and chords. He and his piano teacher from years past had practiced them together. He knew the entire first movement of this piece inside and out. He didn't really need the music. He looked up at the conductor and nodded.

"Arigato, Hayashi-sensei," he said. She nodded.

"Well, if you're ready then let's begin," she said, raising her arms, still looking for Neji, awaiting the signal that he was ready. The Hyuuga nodded, his hands arched slightly at the wrists, his fingers positioned on the thin keys, ready to play. She nodded, and began conducting in allegro, four-four time. The orchestra began to play, right on cue. Neji's one bar solo was played perfectly by the Hyuuga, the trills perfectly executed exactly when they should have been. When Neji stopped playing the orchestra began again, filling the silence Neji had created. They continued in this fashion for a while, Neji's beautiful long fingers hitting each key in perfect time and creating chords and phrases that combined to make the melodious sounds that made up Mozart's 9th piano concerto; the orchestra's harmonious background music creating the perfect accompaniment. The music, Neji marveled, was beautiful.

Until the violin section hit a sour note. Hayashi stopped moving her arms. She cut off the orchestra. Neji stopped immediately, but some players overplayed the cut off just a little bit. Neji watched over the piano as Hayashi had the violinists play the last few measures by themselves. Neji noted that Sasuke knew the part perfectly. His eyes followed the notes on the sheet music, and still managed to keep the conductor in their sight. His posture was perfect; straight, his back not touching that of the chair, his neck stretched upward to fit the violin underneath his chin. His wrist was rounded perfectly and was not in danger of hitting the neck of the instrument, and the hand controlling his bow moved swiftly and surely. Neji was fascinated.

The violins stopped and Hayashi shook her head. She told them what they were doing wrong. She mimed the movements for them. Neji listened and watched but didn't quite understand, as he was sure they wouldn't if she had been reprimanding him about something he may have done wrong on the piano. Neji's eyes were unblinking as he listened to them perform the tricky bit again. They sounded better and more together, but they weren't perfect. For the sake of moving on, however, Hayashi had the entire orchestra play with them, and continue onward. Neji, once again, played the piece beautifully, earning an impressed look from Hayashi as he performed a particularly tricky trill that lasted a good five seconds. They returned to the main theme and Neji played a part similar to that of the first few bars. He was alone now. The entire orchestra was waiting for their parts, counting rests and sitting silently.

Hayashi cut them off before they could come in, though. Neji looked at her, slightly puzzled, but then he caught sight of the clock behind her. Eighth period was over. School was over. He stood up and went over to the conductor, dodging the mass of people now flocking to the door in their frantic efforts to get out as quickly as possible and head home. He approached her and nodded his head once. She smiled at him.

"Neji-san, you're amazing!" she exclaimed in awe. "How long have you been playing?" Neji looked her in the eyes as he answered.

"About six years," he replied, his voice hinting something of hopefulness. "I've practiced with a private teacher every day." Hayashi looked impressed.

"Well," she said. "Then you're quite the musical prodigy. I've never met anyone your age who could play anything by Mozart so well, even if it wasn't their first time. Tell me, would you like to join orchestra? I could and would willingly make my best efforts to help you get in." Neji nodded.

"It would be a privilege," he said truthfully. Hayashi smiled.

"Excellent," she said. "I'll speak with Tsunade-sama on that matter as soon as I can." Neji nodded.

"Arigato, sensei," he said politely and gratefully. Hayashi waved the gratitude away.

"No need to thank me," she said. "Just get on home and you'll be alerted of your new schedule when it's been changed." Neji bowed.

"I'll see you soon," he said, as he turned to leave. The conductor nodded and left to her office. Neji was walking out the door when Sasuke's voice stopped him. The Hyuuga turned as he saw the raven haired boy approach him, a black case shaped like a violin in his hand, a smirk that did not quite hide his amazement on his face. The Uchiha stopped in front of Neji and looked at him.

"Wow," he chuckled a little incredulously. "You are good." Neji's brow rose.

"As are you," he replied. "It was very interesting to watch you play." Sasuke's own eyebrow mimicked the Hyuuga's.

"Watch?"

"Well, yes. I've never seen a skilled violin player play before."

"I'm flattered."

"Your welcome." Sasuke watched Neji interestedly.

"See you tomorrow?" Neji's gaze was full of interest as it rested on the Uchiha.

"I suppose."

"See you."

"Goodbye."

* * *

**Sasuke does play the violin from now on! Ya don't like it, DEAL!! Jk. **

**Yeah, about the Mozart, that's all I could think of off the top of my head that had both violin and piano parts in it. Tell me if u don't like it!! **

**Oh, yeah, and WHAT OTHER PAIRINGS SHOULD I HAVE IN THIS FANFIC?? Need to know the answer to this question! I don't know if SasuNeji should be the only one or if I should bring in some others. I don't mind as long as it's not ShikaTem. (Refer to my account) **

**Need reviews now a lot!!**


	6. Smile, Ino

Neji, even after he had arrived back to his uncle's house, was still thinking back on that one class. He had loved the way the piano keys felt beneath his fingers, almost like water before the surface was broken. It had felt so wonderful to play the beautiful instrument after so long. Neji had, upon returning, gone straight to the piano Hiashi had invited him to use and had begun to play. He had played for hours, completely forgetting about everything else, until Hinata had come to him and interrupted him shyly; nervous about disturbing such a tranquil and beautiful display, telling him that dinner was ready.

During this meal, Hiashi had brought up the subject of friends and new acquaintances.

"Have you met anyone knew, Neji?" the man had asked curiously. Neji's eyes remained on his food.

"I have become briefly acquainted with some of Hinata-san's friends," he replied. "But, on a different level, I have become somewhat involved with a boy named Uchiha Sasuke." Hiashi raised an eyebrow at his nephew's choice of words.

"I see," he said. "And how did you two meet?"

"At lunch, the table was too crowded so I moved to Uchiha's." Hiashi nodded.

"It sounds as though you two have become unofficial friends," he said. Neji looked up and almost laughed at Hiashi's choice of words.

"I suppose that's true."

Hanabi scoffed.

When dinner ended, Neji, who would rather have gone to the sakura tree, the garden, or to the piano, reluctantly let Hinata persuade him to do his homework, which he finished rather quickly. It figures, as a quarter of his classes were freshmen classes. Once he finished Hiashi wouldn't let him outside, so going to the garden or the sakura tree was out of the question, leaving the piano as his last viable option. The brunette boy played until his uncle ordered him to bed.

When morning came, and Neji's alarm went off, the boy felt a little less pressured than he had the previous morning. Having fallen asleep in his bed with an alarm as opposed to out in the forest with no means of controlling when he wakes up is most definitely going to take a load off. Neji got himself out of bed at about 5:30. It was easy for him to get up this early. He'd done it before, what seemed like a million times. The Hyuuga removed the hair tie from his braided hair and separated the locks. He had always worn his hair in a braid at night to prevent it from tangling. He quickly combed his fingers through the silky tresses. He stifled a yawn as he headed in the direction of the bathroom. A few minutes later a faint pattering sound could be heard upstairs as the brunette turned the shower on. A half hour later the sound stopped and the Hyuuga boy stepped out of the bathroom, freshly bathed, dried and clothed. His hair was still wet and some strands clung to his forehead and shirt. He walked silently down the stairs and found, like the previous morning, Hanabi sitting on the sofa and reading. She made a small grunt as he entered and Neji had to control a smirk. She was warming up to him. Neji continued into the kitchen to prepare his breakfast, a simple bowl of cereal and toast, complete with orange juice. He sat at the table and ate silently, thankful for the time he had to adequately complete each of his morning rituals. He glanced at the kitchen clock. 6:13. Good. Forty-five minutes to get his things prepared and then do whatever the heck he wanted until seven o'clock. Neji sighed peacefully. He finished his breakfast in a few minutes and then gathered his homework together. 6:22. Forty minutes. Neji knew exactly what he wanted to do until seven. And, predictably, for the rest of the morning, the soft tones of the piano could be heard throughout the house.

Neji and Hinata arrived at school after a slightly less tense and awkward journey through the forest path, and were greeted by the same chaotic teen angst energy in the air that they had received the day before. Neji hoped sincerely that this day would go much better than the day before.

"Hina-chan! Neji-chan!" Apparently it wouldn't. Neji and Hinata turned to see Naruto running towards them, ear-to-ear grin fixed in place just like the last day. Hinata smiled shyly and went red.

"N-Naruto-kun," she stammered. "G-good morning." Neji's eyes flashed to his cousin, who suddenly became the epitome of timidity, and the corners of his mouth twitched. Did his shy little cousin have a crush?

"Hey, Hinata-chan," Naruto said, smirking at Hinata. He turned to Neji. "Hey, I heard you played in orchestra!" Neji looked slightly taken aback by the bluntness of this statement.

"Uchiha told you?" the Hyuuga asked blandly. Naruto nodded.

"Hai!" he agreed. "He said that you played pretty well." The brunette boy shrugged.

"Well, I suppose being experienced does help when it comes to those sorts of things," Neji sighed, trying to send the blonde any signal that would get him to realize that it was just too damn early in the morning to be this hyper. He sighed to himself and turned to the school. Hinata and Naruto followed him, Naruto still talking at a level that probably exceeded eighty-five decibels. Neji zoned out, not listening until the blonde shouted, "Hey, Sasuke!" Neji's head snapped around and his eyes fell on Sasuke who approached him and the other two.

"Hey, dobe," Sasuke said. Turning to Neji, he smirked. "Hyuuga."

"Uchiha."

"Walk with me to class?"

"Alright." Sasuke turned and began to walk to the school, Neji walking right beside him. Naruto and Hinata watched with puzzled expressions.

"Is it me, or are they acting like really good friends?" the Uzumaki rhetorically asked.

It wasn't just him. Sasuke had taken a shine to Neji just as the latter did to him. Mainly because the boy had a similar interest in music that mimicked his own. It was nice to have someone interested in the thing he enjoyed most and to the extent that he was interested in it.

Aside from that there was also something about the Hyuuga that just drew him in. He couldn't put his finger on it, but there was some mysterious factor of the Hyuuga's that intrigued him.

The two walked together until Neji turned to go down the sophomore hallway. Sasuke hesitated but then followed him.

"You know the freshmen hallway is in the other direction," Neji pointed out. Sasuke shrugged.

"Yeah," he said simply. Neji looked at him for a moment, before shaking his head and continuing on his way, the Uchiha walking next to him. Neji reached his locker and put his backpack away, the Uchiha watching him.

"What do you have, first period?" Sasuke asked.

"English."

"Who's your teacher?"

"Hatake Kakashi-sensei."

"But he teaches a freshmen class. Aren't you a sophomore?"

"Yes. But they screwed up my schedule."

"Oh." Sasuke and Neji were silent for a moment while the latter gathered his things for the first class of the day. He turned to the raven haired boy and bid him a quick goodbye before heading off to his class upstairs. Sasuke went to the other side of the building for his first class.

Neji's English class today was much more eventful than the last one. Kakashi didn't show up for a full fifteen minutes and, in that time, Naruto decided to throw a party, with him, Kiba and Chouji as the hosts. Papers were flying through the air, Neji almost got hit with a spit ball, and one desk ended up overturned before another teacher came in and told them to shut the hell up. Naruto had just laughed and sent a spit ball flying in that teacher's direction. Neji had then decided that things were too out of hand, so he had pulled himself out of seat, gone over to Naruto, grabbed him by the collar and told him _nicely _to settle down. Naruto, being the good little boy that he clearly was, complied immediately. When Kakashi returned, the desk had been repositioned and the papers had been picked up off the floor. Neji was becoming a very influential student indeed, being someone gifted with natural charm and excellent persuasion skills.

In Neji's second class, the class was much mellower, but the teacher more than made up for their lack of spirit. Miturashi Anko spent the better part of the period shouting instructions to the class and barking about a project they were going to be doing that may well affect their likeliness to get into college, depending on how they did. It was a partner project and Neji's first instinct was to choose Sasuke, but Lee had vehemently insisted that Neji be his partner, so he could experience the passionate flames of a blossoming friendship. Neji, having almost no energy to refuse, agreed reluctantly, and Sasuke was left to pair up with his friend Shikamaru, also a freshmen taking many AP courses. After that class and the academic partnership of Neji and Lee, the black haired ball of energy simply would not leave Neji alone. Sasuke, who had started walking over to Neji to walk with him to his next class, had ended up turning away because Lee was so damn loud and irritating.

"So, Neji-san!" Lee said, turning to Neji on their way to math. "Do you play any sports?" Neji shook his head.

"No," he replied.

"Do you take any extracurricular activities?"

"No."

"Are you in chorus, band or orchestra?"

"Orchestra." Lee's face lit up at the confirming answer that could be manipulated into some sort of conversation.

"What instrument do you play?" the excited Lee asked.

"Piano," was Neji's stoic reply.

"Do you enjoy it?"

"Yes." Lee's face became crestfallen, having run out of things to throw at Neji, hoping to have gotten more of a response from the Hyuuga. The normally hyper boy sighed dejectedly and slowly swiveled his head so it faced forward. Neji felt oddly guilty. But he didn't act on it. They arrived at their math class in Room 127 on the first floor near the cafeteria and quickly took their seats. Lee sat with Tenten and was practically bouncing up and down in his chair waiting for class to start, causing the brunette girl to involuntarily lean away from him. Neji sat alone at his table as he did the previous day until a certain Uchiha chose to sit next to him.

"Mind if I sit here?" he had asked, smirking. Neji's eyes showed the smirk he hid.

"Be my guest," he replied. Sasuke, already sitting, nodded and turned to face the front, just as the math teacher walked into the room. The day before, Neji had almost had a heart attack from the sight of him. He looked so _**damn**_ much like Lee! His eyebrows were exactly like his, except ten times bigger. His hair was exactly like the younger boy's except ten times as shiny, and not in a good way. He wore the same goofy grin that was humanly impossible for any other human being to sport, and he, too used words like "youthful" and "passionate" about fifty times per sentence. His name was Might Gai. He _**loved**_ math.

"My youthful students!" he cried, upon entering the room. Lee practically had a conniption.

"Welcome back to another passionate day of GEOMETRY!!" Neji prevented a sigh and Sasuke twitched slightly. Gai continued.

"Today, we will begin a journey through the many mazes of GEOMETRY TERMONOLOGY!!" he shouted. "Now! Someone please inform me the meaning of the word angle!" Lee's hand shot up. Gai looked delighted.

"Lee, my youthful yet incredibly handsome student! I knew you'd know the answer!" Gai gushed. "So, what is an angle!?"

"An angle is the figure formed by two lines diverging from a common point!" Lee shouted, his words coming out in rapid fire, indiscernible to anyone except Gai. The teacher broke out into emotional sobs.

"Oh, Lee!!" he bawled proudly. "Not only do you display such parades of youth, but you are also a model student!! I'm so proud!" Lee's eyes began to sparkle with tears for a moment, before he, too, lost himself to the emotion. He began to sob like his teacher, and Neji found himself rather disgusted, to say the least. _Why don't they just make out?_ He thought bitterly. Sasuke looked on with a face just as contorted with disgust as the Hyuuga's. Math class was the longest forty-five minutes of Neji's life.

When it was over, the brunette boy found himself gratefully on his way to science class. This class was most definitely the most enjoyable when compared to the previous three. Oh, yes, calm, quiet, kind Iruka was most definitely preferable to crazy blondes, short-tempered women and rather insane math teachers. Luckily, Neji had neither Naruto nor Lee in his science class. Sasuke took a freshmen science class so he wasn't with Neji, but the Hyuuga did find himself sitting next to the Nara who had been with Sasuke at lunch and most other times during the day. It was in this class exactly one day ago, during which Neji discovered the extreme laziness of this boy. He sat back in his chair, arms coolly behind his head, eyes closed and feet forward in the most relaxed position one could be in during school. He also seemed to love the word "troublesome," which he used about three or four times per minute. He was no different this day. Except today, he said more.

"Hey," he sighed lazily as he sat down. _One more word said today than yesterday._ Neji thought. _Excluding the word troublesome, though. _

"Hello," Neji greeted in return. The lazy boy opened one eye and glanced at Neji.

"You're pretty stiff," he remarked. Neji shrugged.

"I'm no different than I was yesterday."

"Yeah, but I figured that was cause you were nervous." This time the Nara shrugged.

"Oh well, it's not my place to judge," he said. And that was the last he said for the remainder of the class, with the exception of a few scattered "Troublesome's."

Now came the class Neji was really looking forward to; art. His previous class the day before had consisted mostly of explaining to him how things would work that year. This time, the Hyuuga sincerely hoped that the art would be more of a practical lesson for him. He found his way to the art room with a bit less difficulty than on his first day. He found his seat near the window and sat, the blonde Yamanaka Ino sitting in her usual place next to him, and Naruto sitting in the rather unfortunate place that was behind the Hyuuga. Sasuke, although he was in Neji's art class, sat on the other side of the room. Fortunately, the art teacher wasn't crazy. She was actually a lot like Iruka, but with a little more voice and more of a disciplinary sense. Her name was Yuuhi Kurenai. She was very young and must have only been getting used to the rigors of being a teacher, but she performed her job very well, Neji had to admit.

"Good morning," she said as she entered the art room. The class mumbled an almost inaudible answer and Kurenai's brow rose. She went over to a stool in front of the class and sat down, looking hard at her students.

"Alright, so, yesterday, you all worked on still-life drawing, with the exception of Neji-san," she said in her firm but kind voice. Turning to Neji she added, "Did you get the notes you missed yesterday, from someone, Neji-san?" Neji nodded and took out a beige folder and placed it on his desk. Kurenai nodded.

"Good," she said. "You can put that in your art portfolio as soon as I finish explaining what we're going to do today." She turned back to the rest of the class.

"Today, each of you will be working with the person next to you for a pastel painting project," she said. "You will have six classes to work on it, including today, and may stay after school if you feel you need to. It's a portrait project. One of the partners will draw the other using pastels and you will turn that project in on Wednesday of next week. On Wednesday the partners will switch roles and the one who posed will do the drawing. Understood?" The class let out an audible groan and nodded. Neji, however, was feeling very excited about this project. He loved working in pastels. He turned to Ino, who sat next to him and decided that she was actually a very good model. She had sharp feminine contours and a pretty complexion. Her long blonde hair was going to be interesting to try to recreate with pastels, especially with the sun playing off some of the highlights as it was now. Indeed, Neji was looking forward to this very much.

After a few more minutes of meaningless questions and a stupid comment from Naruto, the class paired up and began the project. Likewise to his feelings, Ino was looking forward to the project as well. She seemed to have the whole thing planned out.

"You'll draw me first, and make sure to get a good perspective. I don't want to look bad in this picture," she ranted. Neji sighed.

"Just stand up," he said. "I don't want to illustrate posers." Ino went slightly pink and stood up. Neji looked over her outfit. He didn't particularly like it; shirt with spaghetti straps and a mini skirt.

"Wear a different outfit tomorrow," he said, slightly irritated. Ino looked down.

"What kind of outfit?" she asked a little shyly. Neji shrugged.

"I don't know. Something a little less revealing." Ino nodded.

"Geez, fine. You're kind of strict when it comes to art," she pointed out. Neji nodded.

"I realize that," he said. "And have tried to correct it, but I can't help but take this seriously." Ino looked understanding.

"I get that," she said. "So, do you want to draw a background or not?" Neji shrugged. He honestly would've liked to draw a background to accompany the two-dimensional Ino, but, as she was the one in the drawing he knew she should decide.

"Do you want to?" he asked politely. Ino smiled.

"I kind of do," she admitted. "Maybe some sort of garden or something." Neji felt an almost nonexistent urge to smile. Ino had good taste.

"Alright," he said. "I'll think of something." He stood and retrieved a piece of pastel paper, propped it up on a small easel and then went to select the pastels, themselves. Looking back at Ino, he decided on cream and pale peach for her skin. She had a light tone that required some mixing of colors. For her hair, Neji selected sun yellow, pale yellow and off-white pastels. Her eyes were harder. Neji had to go back over to her and lean in close to her face, surprising her into blushing. He ultimately decided that her eyes were a mixture of turquoise, pale blue and periwinkle. For her slight natural blush Neji picked a pale pink. He liked to put a lot of thought into art, especially when choosing which media to use.

"Ready, Neji-kun?" Ino asked when Neji returned. The brunette sat down on a stool before his paper as so many others were doing and nodded, watching Ino expectantly. But the Yamanaka only blushed timidly.

"How do you want me to pose?" she asked. Neji shrugged.

"I don't want you to pose," he replied simply. "I just want you to smile." Ino looked slightly taken aback at this rather blatant statement, but complied and smiled, or at least attempted to. Neji, however, only looked at her.

"Don't grimace," he said. "Smile." Ino looked positively flushed now.

"Well, it's hard for me to smile on demand," she complained. "I smile spontaneously." Neji nodded.

"So smile spontaneously," he urged. "I've seen the way you smile with Sakura-san when you two are talking about something you really enjoy." Neji paused and then added, "Like…"

"Flowers?" Ino cut in without thinking. Neji's eyebrow rose and he nodded, his eyes sparkling knowingly.

"Yes," he replied quietly. "Flowers. Think about flowers." Ino nodded and let her mind wander to the beautiful blooms and blossoms of her parents' garden, and felt herself smile; spontaneously. Neji, before Ino came back to reality, began to bring the pastels down on the paper, creating lines and shapes that were his outline, and capturing the image before him. He mixed and matched. His fingers were soon dusted with a light layer of pastel chalk, but he was not deterred. Ino's smile was still fixed in place, and, if anything, Neji would at least get that down onto his board. The drawing was turning out well so far. Ino's head was taking shape, her paper counterpart's skin started looking like her skin, and her bright blue eyes stared back at Neji from the paper. He worked diligently and soon, her head, with the exception of her hair, was ready. He began to fill in the outline of her body, creating more smudges and blends. He quickly added some blue over the outline to make it look as though she was not completely without clothes, but he held off on the details. He would fix that tomorrow, when Ino wore something more suitable for the picture. Which reminded him…

"Ino," he said to the serene blonde, who turned to him, slightly startled. Neji looked at her and said, "Wear something flowery tomorrow." Ino's smile grew and she nodded. She had the perfect thing.

"Five minutes left, start cleaning up!" Kurenai instructed. "Make sure to put you and your partner's name on your drawing before you go." Neji quickly put away his pastels and quickly scribbled his and Ino's name on the paper, before going to wash his hands. When he returned, he saw Ino surveying the picture. There was a look of awe where the smile was a moment ago. She turned to him as he approached her.

"Wow, Neji-kun," she whispered. "This is amazing!" Neji looked from her to the painting and concluded that the pastel Ino did look something like the real Ino, but, maybe because of her lack of hair and body, did not look one hundred percent like the real thing. He shrugged and took the painting from the easel.

"It'll be easier tomorrow when you have the clothes I'll actually be drawing," he stated, uncomfortable with the praise. "But thank you." Ino nodded and went over to Naruto, no doubt to express Neji's artistic talent in full. Neji looked slightly resentful. He didn't mind compliments, but sometimes he didn't know how to react to them. He knew very well that continuing the topic of one's own skill was the surest way to get a reputation as a bragging, self absorbed narcissist. However, keeping quiet and saying little to nothing about it gave the impression of false modesty and quiet, attention-seeking pride, which would also be undesirable. To avoid mishaps like these, Neji had simply stopped trying to impress people, but it was that that seemed to get him the most compliments of all. Oh well.

Neji placed his pastel drawing carefully on the art counter amidst others and turned to collect his things. It was time for P.E. now. Neji sighed. He disliked most sports. The only ones he could really cope with were soccer and tennis. Anything else, he had no patience for.

"Neji-san!!" Lee shouted. "I wish you luck in your wonderful P.E. class!! It is the perfect outlet for your youthful energy!!" Neji, luckily facing away from Lee, couldn't stop a look of distaste from crossing his features.

"Arigato, Lee-san," he said. "I'll be sure to tell you all about it." Lee beamed and made an unusual pose in which he stood, weight shifted slightly, with his hand out straight in an enthusiastic thumbs-up. He called this his "nice guy" pose. Neji almost gagged and walked quickly off to the gym.

* * *

**Ha! I got chapter six done! Only one more final to go, people!! I'm so excited to be finishing school and having an entire summer to be a complete Narutard!! **

**Oh, and in reference to why Kakashi was late, you can either watch the anime, read the manga, or become a KakaIru fan to find out why!! ;3**

**Please tell me what you people thought about the art scene! I want to know if I need to change anything. Review, review, review!! Please. **


	7. Invitation

As he drew closer to the gymnasium, Neji felt a feeling of impending doom. His previous gym class had resulted in an aching wrist and an irritated attitude. Neji sighed. He sincerely hoped this P.E. class would go much better.

He arrived at his destination and steered towards the boys' locker room and changed into his hideously tight gym clothes; spandex shorts and a white t-shirt over under armor. Neji hated these clothes. He knew every other boy wore them but he still could not get himself used to them. And it didn't help that a lot of the girls spent their time looking at his ass when they thought he wasn't looking. It was helpful, though, that Sasuke was in his class. The freshman received a lot of attention as well, more than Neji actually. He could cope with it well, he just glared at the girls and they would scurry away, blushing and squealing to themselves.

Today, Sasuke walked over to Neji and stood with him to the side of the gym, waiting for the teacher. He hadn't done this yesterday, and Neji hadn't really paid much attention to him yesterday. But today, the Hyuuga couldn't help but notice how good Sasuke looked in tight clothes. He even made the horrible gym clothes he was wearing look good. The t-shirt was form-fitting and hugged the angles of Sasuke's torso in just the right way. His shorts, which Neji tried to avoid looking at but was unsuccessful, outlined his hips and thighs perfectly and drew attention to his rather tight ass. The Hyuuga had to exercise an unusual amount of control to keep his gaze from wandering to the boy next to him. Sasuke, thankfully, didn't seem to notice. He just watched as the girls emerged from their locker and clicked his tongue in distaste when they all formed their clique in the center of the gym, most of them stealing glances at the two hot guys over by the corner (bet you can't guess who the hot guys are). He shook his head.

"Like moths to a flame," he said. Neji shrugged.

"Well, I suppose that this is one of the few times when they really get a good look at you," he said flatly. The Uchiha sniggered.

"And you," he pointed out. The brunette's eyebrow rose and he turned to look at the other.

"What do you mean?" he asked, confused. Sasuke turned to him.

"Oh, come on," he said. "You don't exactly look like a flop in those gym clothes, and you have only been here for two days, not enough time for those girls to ogle you." He looked at Neji as though this was the most obvious thing in the world. The Hyuuga shook his head and turned back to the girls and raised his other brow when some of the girls quickly turned away from him, blushing. Sasuke must have noticed because a chuckle was heard from his direction.

"I rest my case," he said. Neji sighed and turned forward, watching as more people emerged from their locker rooms, waiting for class to start.

Finally, the P.E. teacher, a man named Ibiki, came into the gym, looking hard at all of them. All of the students formed a line and Ibiki began to explain to them about the new unit they were starting; tennis. Neji felt a pang of relief. Finally, a game he knew how to play and enjoyed playing. Neji half-listened, understanding the rules of tennis, but making sure he remembered the rules of Ibiki, which were almost as numerous as the of tennis rules.

"Alright, pair up!" Ibiki shouted and Sasuke, who was already next to Neji, nudged the latter's elbow and looked at him with a smirk. Neji nodded sharply and their gaze returned to the teacher, waiting for the yelling and claiming of students around them to cease. When it did, Ibiki ordered them all to get a racket and one tennis ball per pair and to go out to the courts. Neji, not knowing where any of this was, followed Sasuke and the rest of the gym class. He was immediately found by Naruto, who grinned at him and said, "I'm pairing with Kiba. Who's your partner?"

"Uchiha," the Hyuuga replied simply. Naruto nodded.

"Figures," he said. "You two have been all over each other since lunch yesterday. Are you gay?" Neji did a double take at the abruptness of this question. He looked at Naruto with his mouth slightly open before he came back down to earth, blinked and faced forward again. With a shrug, he answered, "I don't know. The best I can say about my sexuality is that I'm asexual. At least until I find someone who excites me in that way that you're talking about." He did not mention that Sasuke had already succeeded in arousing at least some form of that feeling in him about five minutes ago. He also didn't see how that would make him gay, as the feeling had been almost nonexistent.

Naruto nodded and turned to face his partner, still grinning, to talk about something else. Neji ignored him and fell back a little ways, disliking the group in which he seemed to be the centripetal force. He didn't notice Sakura next to him.

"Hey, Neji-kun, that redhead has been staring at you for the past five minutes," the pink haired girl observed, pointing to a girl with flaming red and shiny hair with rather large breasts. Neji followed her finger, and his brow rose when his eyes found the girl who was, indeed staring at him. She went as red as her hair and looked quickly away. The brunette boy sighed.

"When will it stop?" he sighed, slightly desperately. Sakura laughed.

"When you suddenly get ugly," she replied, grinning. "You are probably the best looking boy to come here since Sasuke." Neji's internal face scowled, but his external one remained passive. Instead of focusing on the attention of the redhead, who had resumed staring at him, Neji focused on something else the Haruno had said.

"Sasuke hasn't always lived here?" he asked. Sakura shook her head.

"No," she replied simply. "He came here at the end of seventh grade and has lived here since." The Hyuuga nodded, and his stare moved to the front of the group, becoming blank and disinterested.

They arrived at the tennis courts and Sasuke made his way over to Neji, indicating to the very end of the row of maroon courts to one that was scattered with the trees' shadows. Neji nodded and followed the raven haired boy down to the darkened tennis court. Sasuke went to one side of the net and Neji to the other, and Sasuke stood in a ready stance. He started to throw the ball into the air and stopped, turning to his partner.

"Have you played tennis before?" he asked bluntly. Neji fought the urge to roll his eyes.

"Yes!" he shouted back. The Uchiha nodded and served the ball. Neji returned it and the two began a long rally. The Hyuuga quickly fell into the swing of the game. Sasuke was undoubtedly a good player. He also looked good while he played, Neji noted. The Hyuuga, of course, had no idea that Sasuke was thinking along the same lines as he. The two played a fast-paced tennis game and it hadn't been five minutes before Sasuke was at the net. Neji remained closer to the back of his court, finding it easier to see everything from back there. He returned the Uchiha's shots with some difficulty, but eventually managed to win a set. Sasuke, of course, returned the favor.

By the end of gym class, both boys were sweating, and Neji's hair was sticking to his neck and the back of his shirt. He quickly brushed it out of his eyes, as he walked back to the locker room, Sasuke, right beside him. The Uchiha had a pink tint to his cheek, which Neji assumed was the result of the constant running and sweating and panting. They reached the locker rooms with about ten minutes left to shower. The girls had gone in before them because of their constant and undying fuss about their hair and how it needed the proper amount of time to dry otherwise it would be wrecked.

Neji took a quick shower, brushing through most of the knots in his hair and managing to get it decently dry by the time he left gym. Sasuke took a little while longer, but emerged a moment later, the pink color in his cheeks still there. Neji raised his eyebrow, but chose not to say anything. Now, thankfully, it was time was for lunch, and Neji, naturally, had worked up quite an appetite.

Neji had stood with Sasuke in the lunch line and was talking with him on the way to Sasuke's usual lunch table when Naruto confronted them both rather energetically, as was his style.

"Come on, guys we're eating outside toady!" he said insistently, grabbing Neji's arm and pulling the Hyuuga with him. Sasuke shook his head reluctantly but followed. Neji soon found himself outside on a little lawn behind the school and followed Naruto over to the group of waving people he recognized form the day before. They were all sitting under a large shady tree and looked to be having the time of their lives. With the exception of Gaara, who sat next to Kankuro, who was talking lazily with Shikamaru. Shino sat with his back against the tree, one hand casually behind his head, the other bringing a half eaten sandwich up to his mouth. Kiba sat next to him and seemed to be getting a kick out of irritating Chouji by taunting him with a bag of cookies. Lee sat with Tenten and the two were having a friendly discussion in which Tenten tried to convince Lee that wearing a green spandex jumpsuit to school was **not** a good idea. Sakura and Ino sat together exchanging gossip and other pleasantries. There was also a blonde girl Neji did not recognize who was talking rather heatedly with Sasuke's brother, Uchiha Itachi, and next to them was a long haired blonde boy who was talking with a red haired boy. Neji's shy little cousin sat, slightly isolated from the group, her face a little red and clearly waiting for Naruto to return. The blonde Uzumaki plopped down next to Kiba and quickly secured the attention of everyone there.

"Okay, yeah, everyone remembers Hyuuga Neji, right?" he said loudly. "If you don't, there he is." He pointed at Neji and the redhead Neji did not know along with the two unfamiliar blondes nodded in his direction.

"I'm Temari," the blonde girl said. Her hair was kept in four different rather messy ponytails and her face looked permanently sarcastic. "I'm Gaara's sister." She jerked her thumb towards Gaara, who blinked, bored. The other blonde spoke up, raising his hand.

"Name's Deidara," he said, smirking. His hair, which was almost the same shade of yellow as Temari's, was kept up in one high ponytail, while some of it fell in front of his face, giving him a little bit of a bad-ass look. The boy next to him looked at Neji, also smirking.

"I'm Sasori," he said. "Deidara's boyfriend." Neji assumed that he wanted to see how he would react to this. He wanted to see if Neji tolerated gay people. Neji simply nodded, said, "Nice to meet you all," and sat down on the grass, next to Hinata. Sakura and Ino looked at Sasuke, turning slightly red.

"Sasuke-kun, come sit next to me!" Ino said in a high and girly voice, patting the grass beside her. Sakura shook her head and looked imploringly at the young Uchiha.

"No, sit with me, Sasuke-kun!" she pleaded, putting a hand on the spot next to her. Sasuke only shook his head, chuckled a little and sat down on the lawn beside Neji. Neji turned to his cousin and nodded a greeting.

"Konnichiwa, Hinata-san," he said. Hinata turned to him with a look of relief on her face and said, "Konnichiwa, nii-san." She smiled at him and began to ask him questions about his classes, how they went and if he enjoyed them. He answered truthfully, as he found he was unable to lie to her.

Lunch, on that day was surprisingly enjoyable, especially as it was outside in the shade of a beautiful tree. Halfway through, Neji had spotted a bird land on the grass near them and had told Hinata not to make any sudden movements. He didn't bother to tell her not to make a sound since she was always quiet. He turned slowly around, attracting a confused look from Naruto, until he faced the bird completely. Luckily, it still hadn't moved from its place. Neji quickly ripped off a small piece of his sandwich and moved in deadly slow, but smooth fashion towards the bird, now twittering and preening itself. Neji now had the attention of almost everyone there, and everyone was all silent, watching him approach the winged creature, and wondering how close he would get. They all had to stifle a gasp of surprise when the Neji held his hand out to the bird, the small bit of sandwich attracting it. The small creature had chirped once and hopped cautiously over to Neji's unmoving hand. The bird reached out slowly and quickly closed its beak around the sandwich and jerked its head away. It devoured the sandwich in one gulp and hopped onto the Hyuuga's hand, clearly hoping to find more. Slowly, gradually, Neji brought his hand up to the bird, softly running two fingers down its feathered back, before watching as it took off and flew away. Neji turned and walked on his knees back to his spot next to Hinata, settling himself down again. He was immediately showered with awe, most of it coming from Naruto.

"Whoa! That was really cool, Neji-san!" the blonde shouted. Neji nodded, mumbling his thanks.

"How did you get that bird to come so close to you, Neji?" Sakura asked in an amazed voice. Neji looked at her.

"Patience," he said matter-of-factly. Sakura nodded. Deidara looked at Neji, grinning.

"You're pretty smooth, Hyuuga-san," he remarked. "You'd be pretty good at scoring chicks. Or guys, if you're into them. Which brings me to my next question." He stopped and waited for Neji's attention to fall on him.

"Are you gay?" he asked. Neji chuckled. He wondered how something like coaxing a bird into your hand could end up on something like this.

"Naruto already asked me that question," Neji pointed out. "I replied to him that I'm asexual until I find someone who arouses certain—"

"Sexual desires," Deidara cut in. Neji nodded.

"Exactly," he agreed. "Until someone arouses certain sexual desires in me." Deidara looked at Neji for a moment and then laughed.

"Wow, Hyuuga-san!" he said. "That is one thing I have never heard before. You're alright!" Neji nodded.

"Arigato, Deidara-san," he said. The Hyuuga turned, aware that Sasuke was looking at him.

"What?" he asked. Sasuke shook his head.

"Nothing," he said, smirking. "I just think you've revealed more in one minute than most people reveal in one year." He looked incredulously at the Hyuuga, who shrugged.

"Is that a bad thing?" he asked. The Uchiha shook his head.

"Hell no," he replied. "I just never associated you with jumping the gun." Neji looked at him, a small grin tugging at his lips.

"And this can be classified as jumping the gun?" he inquired. Sasuke laughed and nodded.

"Yeah, especially when you've started talking about sexuality with someone you've barely known for five minutes."

"True. But that's hardly common knowledge, is it?"

"No need to get sarcastic."

"I can't help it. You just bring out the sarcastic side of me."

"Is there any other side of you that I bring out?" Neji looked at Sasuke, not quite sure how to take the other's remark. Was he flirting? Or was it just a simple question that the Hyuuga was overanalyzing?

"I can't think of any off the top of my head," Neji said carefully. Sasuke nodded and turned back to Itachi, resuming whatever they were talking about before, leaving Neji to finish his lunch in thoughtful silence.

Lunch ended and Sasuke stood, dodging around Naruto as t blonde bolted for the doors, not wanting to be late. The Uchiha faced Neji, who was also standing and preparing to leave.

"So, do you know whether you'll be taking orchestra or not?" the raven haired boy asked. The brunette boy shrugged.

"I haven't heard anything from anyone yet," he admitted. "I'll walk with you to orchestra to see if Hayashi-sensei knows anything." Sasuke nodded and the two of them turned and headed into the building.

Neji was confronted by Hayashi almost as soon as he walked through the door. She was smiling and looking very pleased. The Hyuuga assumed it must have something to do with him.

"Good news, Neji-san," she beamed. "I spoke with Tsunade-sama about your joining orchestra and she has agreed and notified your now former study hall teacher that you will be taking this class from now on. Your schedule has officially been changed and you will be taking orchestra as a normal class beginning today." Neji nodded and bowed.

"Arigato, Hayashi-sensei," he said, hiding the pleasant emotion he was now experiencing. Hayashi smiled.

"Well, it's nice to have you on board, Neji-san," she said. "I hope you enjoy your first year of orchestra at Konoha High." Neji nodded and thanked her once more, before turning away and heading to the piano, Sasuke nodded once to him, and went to the orchestra lockers to retrieve his violin.

The official rehearsal began soon after all the instrumentalists found and readied their instruments and were all sitting in their designated seats, looking at the conductor in attention. Hayashi smiled and opened the rehearsal with an announcement that turned out to be a pleasant surprise for Neji.

"Alright, since we have a pianist for this orchestra we can now add a number to the concert that we have been hoping to perform for a while now," she said, rather excitedly, Neji thought. "The mixed chorus, you should know has selected a male and female singer to perform a song called The Prayer during our concert and we were hoping to have the orchestra accompany them.

"We would have the piano and one selected violinist play with the singers as a duet. We were going to have no one accompany them, since we had no pianist, but, we now have Neji so we will go through with our original plan. As for the selected violin part, I will hold auditions and will select the person whom I feel is best suited to play the piece with the piano." At this she turned to Neji.

"Neji-san, I apologize, but could I get you to stay for the auditions and play with those who will be auditioning?" she asked, slightly apologetically. Neji nodded.

"Of course," he said. "I would gladly stay and accompany anyone who auditions." Hayashi smiled brightly.

"Arigato, Neji-san," she said in a bubbly way. Turning back to the orchestra, she said, "The auditions will be held one week from today. The audition pieces are on the table by the door. Any one of the violinists who are interested can grab one on their way out." She finished her announcement and Neji's eyes flashed to Sasuke. He looked interested. Neji's brow rose. Would he audition? It would be fun to play a duet with the Uchiha if he was chosen, and even if he wasn't, Neji would still get to play with him during the actual audition.

"Alright, let's begin!" Hayashi said, raising her hands. The orchestra all raised its instruments, ready to play. Neji's fingers were poised over the piano as they had been the day before. Hayashi began her conducting and the orchestra began. Neji played in unison with them as he had the day before, enjoying it just much. Hayashi had them sight read a new piece, this time, one of Johan Sebastian Bach's pieces. The orchestra played this piece moderately well, but the cellos were slightly flat and the violins had some trouble staying together. Sasuke, of course performed the most adequately of all of them, and hadn't really messed up at all. _He's very good at sight reading._ Neji noted. _He must have been playing for a long time._ Neji played very well, too, with no noticeable slip-ups, though he caught some mistakes he made.

The end of orchestra arrived and Sasuke and Neji walked out of the orchestra room together, the latter, looking over the piece he would play in the duet.

"Are you going to audition?" Neji asked the Uchiha. Sasuke shrugged.

"Don't know," he replied. "I haven't really decided yet."

"You should," Neji said before he could stop himself. Sasuke looked at him.

"Why?" Neji hesitated for a moment.

"Because you're good."

"Then I will." The Hyuuga blinked.

"Just like that?"

"Sure, why not? I trust your judgment."

"Oh, thank you."

"No problem."

"See you tomorrow?"

"Yup."

"Bye."

"Bye."

Neji walked off and found Hinata waiting for him, and Sasuke went in the other direction with Itachi. Hinata turned to Neji and went red.

"Nii-san," she said timidly. "N-Naruto-kun wanted me to give you this." Neji turned and Hinata handed him an envelope. The Hyuuga boy took it and looked at the document questioningly.

"What is it, Hinata-san?" he asked. Hinata smiled shyly.

"It's an invitation, nii-san!" she replied, the smallest hint of excitement in her voice. "Naruto's having a party on Friday. H-he told me to tell you that you h-have to come." Her voice faded and she became instantly timid again, no doubt at having to convey Naruto's rather insistent message to her cousin. Neji looked at her and sighed.

"I suppose then I'll have to go," he said, resignedly. He opened the letter and read it. Friday, after school into Saturday and RSVP by Thursday. _Excellent._ Neji thought, his inner voice sounding quite sarcastic to him. _My second day in Konoha and already this Naruto kid thinks he knows me well enough to invite me to a party._

Neji and Hinata arrived home where Neji immediately proceeded to do his homework. He finished and went to find Hiashi next. His uncle was sitting in the family room, reading. Neji approached him and bowed.

"Hiashi-sama," he said. "Excuse me but I have something I would like to ask you." The elder Hyuuga looked up from his book and smiled at his nephew.

"What is it, Neji-san?" he asked. Neji looked slightly awkward.

"Uh, well I was invited to a party," he began tersely. "And I was wondering if I could go." Hiashi's eyebrow rose. He had never seen Neji so nonplussed before. His smile widened.

"You have interest in a party?" he asked, intrigued. "I never would have thought it of you." Neji looked slightly embarrassed and averted his gaze. Hiashi chuckled.

"If you want to go, then please feel free to go," he said. "Hinata has already spoken of this to me, and I have agreed. It's Friday, correct?" Neji nodded, his face still showing hints of red from his slight mortification. He bowed.

"Arigato, Hiashi-sama," he said. His aloof air had returned and Hiashi watched as the boy left, his posture stiff and straight and his body tense and as far from relaxed as possible. The man heaved a sigh. Would Neji ever get used to life in Konoha?

* * *

**Okay, so the gym scene where Neji notices Sasuke's hotness was for Hanai-kun!! xD He's probably going to notice him a little bit more from now on, so be patient, please!! **

**Srry if some of u thought it took a little long to upload, my internet was being a bitch to me and wouldn't let me on for more than about five seconds. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the songs or musical pieces I mention in this story! **

**Please review!! **


	8. Dance, Neji, dance!

Hanabi approached Neji quietly and waited patiently for him to notice her.

"Hello Hanabi-san," Neji said, looking up at her. Hanabi nodded curtly.

"Hello, Neji-san," she replied, her voice tart. "I heard from Hiashi that you're going to a party on Friday." Neji nodded.

"Hai, Hanabi-san," he said. "I am." Hanabi nodded and looked away.

"Well, h-have a good time," she mumbled, her voice trailing off so Neji could barely hear the last part of the sentence. He internally grinned.

"Arigato, Hanabi-san," he said. Hanabi nodded and left quickly. Neji watched her go. _She's taking the first step towards real conversation._ Neji thought. He sighed and turned back to the piano. He wanted to learn this piece as soon as possible. So far, it had been very interesting to sight read. He had heard the song The Prayer before, but it was sung by professional singers and the piano and violin parts had never been much, and what Neji was playing was a little more difficult than what was played in most versions. In his first sight reading of the song he made many mistakes. It was an unusual piece and had many surprising twists. During his second play through of the song he made only a few mistakes. He was getting used to it and was learning what and what not to do. It was in his third play through that he played the song through without any mistakes, whatsoever. He felt a small surge of pride in himself, but brushed it away after a moment. He now had to speed up the tempo. He had been playing it at a slower speed than what was given.

By the time dinner was ready, Neji had the song down perfectly. He went to the dining room at hearing Hiashi's voice and answered a few questions from his uncle about the party. He did not know much about it, but Hinata stepped in, answering what the brunette boy could not. As Neji found out more and more about the party, the more he didn't want to go.

"How many people are there?" he asked slightly incredulously. Hinata went red.

"Well, there's everyone we sat with at lunch today," she replied quietly. "And some other freshmen, and some seniors too. That's about it." Neji had to fight to keep from rolling his eyes and shouting, "Is Naruto inviting the whole damn school!?" Instead, he said calmly, "That's a lot." Hinata nodded and returned her rather embarrassed attention back to her food, picking at it.

"Hai, nii-san, it is a lot, but I don't think you have to talk to all of them," she said. Neji looked at her, eyes wide. That was probably the first reassuring thing Hinata had ever said to him. He nodded to her gratefully.

"Arigato, Hinata-san," he said. His voice, for the first time, was true to his emotion, which was relieved at the moment. Hinata nodded and the red deepened, but then lightened slightly. Neji felt a little more at ease when the level of red in his cousin's cheeks lessened, and returned his own attentions to his food.

When dinner had ended, Neji found himself wandering to the garden and sitting down on the dirt path, looking at the anemone flowers, as was the norm for him. He felt his body slow at the sight of the calm serene flowers and he relaxed, more so than he had ever allowed himself to in the presence of others.

He soon felt his eyes begin to grow heavy and he let himself doze off a little. Minutes later, he heard a voice call him and he turned to see his uncle calling to him from the door.

"Neji-san, it's ten o'clock, come inside," Hiashi called. Neji nodded and stood slowly and tiredly up. He walked to his uncle, nodding as he passed him and went right up to his room to prepare for bed. He was in his bed and asleep five minutes later.

When morning came, Neji was out of bed the same time he was the previous morning. He was beginning to set his routine here. He would shower, then get dressed, then eat breakfast, then do whatever peaceful activity he felt like doing until it was time for him to go to school. Hiashi had already left by then and the three children were left alone. Hinata and Neji were out the door at seven, and Hanabi left right after them, turning the other way at the end of the driveway to head to the elementary school.

This morning, and unlike any other, Hinata began a conversation with Neji.

"So, are you looking forward to the party, nii-san?" she asked shyly, afraid that he might be as far from a morning person as Hanabi was. Neji shook his head.

"Not really," he replied. "I'm a little apprehensive, actually." Hinata's face took on that all-too-familiar red shade.

"O-oh," she said quietly. Neji couldn't take it anymore.

"Hinata-san, I'm never angry at you when I answer questions in the negative," he explained. "I'm just being truthful. I'm not really interested in this party because I don't really know anyone who's going to be there." He stopped and Hinata nodded hastily, her cheeks still quite red.

"Would you like me to talk to Naruto-kun about you not going?" she asked, and Neji chuckled.

"No, I've already asked Hiashi and it would be rude to just suddenly decide that I don't want to go," he said. "I'll just go with you and if there's no one to hang out with, I'll stand by the side and wait for it to finish." Hinata giggled.  
"You know, nii-san, Sasuke-san's going to be there," she said. Neji raised his brow and looked at her suspiciously.

"I've never heard you use such a_ mischievous _tone before," he said. "How much, on average, have you been hanging out with Naruto?" Hinata giggled again and shook her head.

"He just pointed out that you two have been spending a lot of time in school together, and now that I think about it, he's right," she clarified, an amused edge to her voice. Neji was appalled. He had never heard Hinata like this. He shook his head and turned to face forward, unable to say something to counter what Hinata had just said. Unbelievable.

Despite himself, Neji felt a small feeling of warmth within him. He hadn't felt that way since before his father died. Perhaps he was falling more into place with this family. Maybe one day, he would be able to call Hiashi "Uncle." Maybe one day, he would be able to openly smile with Hinata and Hanabi. Maybe one day, they could make his heart whole again. He sincerely hoped so.

Hinata and Neji arrived at school and they bid each other goodbye, Hinata turning to walk with Naruto and Neji, with Sasuke.

"Did you get an invitation, too?" Sasuke asked, turning his head to face Neji. The Hyuuga nodded.

"Unfortunately, yes," he said. "And before you ask, yes, I am going." Sasuke laughed.

"You sound a little disappointed," he said. Neji nodded.

"Well, I suppose I am. On my second day here, I was invited to a very large party by a hyperactive boy and I was told by my cousin that he expects me to be there." Sasuke grinned.

"Yeah, well, I can't say that I'm all that excited to be going either," the Uchiha shrugged. "I prefer smaller parties with your closest friends, not huge parties like this one. But Naruto is my friend and I promised him I'd go." He broke off and Neji nodded.

"I know," he said. "The same thing ran through my head. I suppose we'll have to grin and bear it." Sasuke nodded and grinned.

"It's going to be a little harder than that," he chuckled. Neji looked at him.

"What do you mean?" he asked. Sasuke smirked.

"Well, this is Naruto's party," he said. "And, knowing Naruto the way I do, he's probably going to have all sorts of games like truth or dare and spin the bottle. Maybe even a dance-off. Probably to embarrass people. That's how he gets his kicks. And I have to admit it's pretty funny, especially when the target isn't me." Neji looked irritated.

"Great," he said in a long suffering voice. "And I suppose Naruto is going to force everyone to take part in his activities?" Sasuke nodded.

"Yup," he confirmed. "He's probably going to focus his attentions on getting you to join the games since you're new. This party is probably going to be like an induction ceremony. Once it's over you'll officially be a part of Naruto's group."

"You make it sound like a cult."

"Well, that's how it went for me when I came here. I can't say I enjoyed it, but I sort of fell into place more after it." Neji sighed.

"I only hope it doesn't go horribly." Sasuke laughed.

"Well, until you get there, there's no way to tell how it's going to go," he said.

Neji went to English class in a slightly off mood, still thinking about the party, wishing he didn't have to go. He went through his first four classes on autopilot, but when the time came for art, he immediately came back to reality. Ino, he noticed, was indeed wearing a flowery outfit. She had a beautiful blue kimono shirt on. There was some silver thread that was stitched in the shape of flowers and leaves that adorned the blue top, and she wore a long amethyst skirt that traveled down to just past her knees that matched the shirt perfectly. Neji approached her and she turned.

"Will this do?" she asked. Neji nodded.

"You look great," he said, drawing a red blush from her. She nodded her thanks and stood by the window as she had the day before. Neji retrieved the pastels and his unfinished drawing. He propped the two-dimensional Ino on an easel as he had the day before and he got to work. Ino was in exactly the same "pose" as she was the previous day. Neji began to illustrate her hair, which was shining in the light morning sun, providing Neji with an interesting dilemma. He tried to recapture the sheen of the sun on her hair onto his paper. He finished and looked at it for a moment, resigning himself to the fact that it wasn't perfect, but that he would work on it later. He moved on to her shirt. The blue fabric also showed reflections of the sun's light and the silver was positively sparkling. Neji carefully mixed and blended, stopping every now and then to look at what he had drawn. He spent most of his time looking at Ino, instead of his project. One of his art teachers had told him that when he was doing a project that involved a model of some sort, the artist's attention should be on the model most of the time, otherwise he would lose the feel of the painting. Neji, looking now at his work, thought that the shirt color was a little too dark and had to add a lighter color. He gently rubbed his fingers over the dark blue to mix the two shades as best he could without disturbing the silver flowers on the shirt, which he believed looked fine. He had only just got started with the skirt when Kurenai told them all to put their supplies away and prepare to leave. Neji was putting the pastels away and noticed Sasuke looking at his drawing, eyebrow raised. He looked at Neji as the Hyuuga lifted the painting off the easel.

"Is there anything that you're not good at?" the Uchiha asked sarcastically, following Neji over to the art counter as the brunette boy placed the drawing carefully down. Neji sighed.

"Yes, there are plenty of things that I'm not good at," he shot. Sasuke smirked at him.

"I know there are," he said. "Recognizing sarcasm is one of them. Showing us all up, though, is not." Neji felt his cheeks go slightly hot and he turned away quickly, preparing to leave.

"Well, there's no need for you to be sarcastic," he said, a little more defensively than he had intended. Sasuke noticed, and raised his brow, choosing not to say anything. He followed Neji out of the art room and to the gym.

Again, Sasuke paired with Neji for tennis, and again, the game ended up tied. Again, Neji noticed that Sasuke looked good in tight clothes, and again, Sasuke blushed at seeing Neji come out of the showers with nothing but a towel wrapped around his slim waist.

Naruto forced them to eat lunch outside again, and Sasuke sat next to Neji again. Deidara smirked as Neji approached them and asked if anyone had aroused any "sexual desires" in the Hyuuga. Neji had chuckled and shook his head, but said he was keeping his eyes open, which got a laugh from both Deidara and Sasori. Lunch for Neji was much less awkward and people seemed more apt to talk to him that day than the day before, something that irritated Neji, but only a little.

In orchestra, Hayashi had Neji play his piece for the duet and had told the violinists to pay close attention, something that, Neji noticed, Sasuke was only too happy to do. They played their other songs too and Hayashi reminded them that the auditions for the violin part were going to be on Tuesday of next week. Sasuke had walked out of school with Neji and bid him goodbye, before turning off and walking away with Itachi, who once again, accused his brother of being obvious.

The next day, Thursday, passed in the same fashion, and before Neji knew it, it was Friday, and he was once again, leaving orchestra and about to head home with Hinata. However, the ebon haired Hyuuga was waiting with Naruto, Ino, Sakura, Tenten, and Lee. All of them had extra bags that Neji assumed held their clothes for the sleepover. Neji sighed, knowing that they were all waiting for him so they could go to the party. Sasuke smirked at Neji's rather crestfallen face and followed the energetic Uzumaki to his house, Neji lagging behind; not quite up to keeping in step with the strenuous pace the overly excited blonde was setting.

They arrived at Naruto's rather large house and the grinning blonde ushered them all inside. He instructed them to put their bags down in his room, which he pointed out to them, and then he brought them all back out into a very large room with a disco ball hanging from the ceiling, a dance floor in the center of the room and a large long table with food, punch and other refreshments. This room was jam packed with people, all holding a glass of some sort of drink and talking to each other loudly over the music that was blaring from two large speakers. Neji let his eyebrow rise. He hadn't expected to see so many people. He hadn't seen too many bags in Naruto's room. He assumed that meant that not everyone who was at the party right now would be sleeping over. Thank god. Sasuke, at seeing Neji's surprised look, sniggered.

"Naruto's foster parents are filthy rich," he informed the bewildered Hyuuga. Neji looked at him.

"Naruto has foster parents?" he asked. Sasuke nodded solemnly.

"His parents died when he was born," he said. "It's a really tender subject for him, so don't go asking about it when you don't need to." Neji nodded. It seemed that there was more to Konoha than meets the eye.

He felt a push on his back and looked angrily behind him at Naruto, who was guiding him to the center of the chaos. The blonde had a mischievous gleam to his eye and wore a grin to match it. He grabbed Neji's arm and dragged him over to the stereo. The Uzumaki turned off the music and the guests looked around, confused. Naruto put his fingers to his mouth and whistled loudly. Everyone's attention turned to him. He smirked.

"Hey, everyone this is Hyuuga Neji!" he shouted, shoving Neji forward. "He's the new kid here! Have at him!" Neji turned to glare at Naruto, but the blonde boy was turning away to turn the music back on. A moment later, the room was full of the noise from the stereo and from the party guests. Neji sighed and made his way over to the long table to get some punch, ignoring the quiet glances and subtle stares from many of the girls.

"Hey, what grade are you in?" Neji turned; the punch ladle in his right hand, a small cup clutched in the other and saw a girl with strawberry blonde hair kept in a very complex hair style. Clearly this girl went all out for this party. She had very long painted nails and was wearing a halter top that was very revealing and had a mini jean skirt to go with it. She stood at an angle that for any other boy would have been appealing, but to Neji was just plain disturbing. He bit back a sigh and spooned some punch into his cup.

"I'm a sophomore," he replied. The girl raised her brow and rocked slightly on her feet, subtly moving her body in a way that showed off her figure. She wore a very flirtatious look on her face.

"I'm a freshman," she said. "Maybe that's why I haven't seen you much." Neji looked at her.

"I suppose," he said. "I can't remember seeing you all that much." The girl smiled prettily, batting her eyelashes.

"Do you wanna see more of me?" she asked; her voice extremely suggestive and, dare I say it, seductive. Neji raised his own brow.

"I can't say that I do," he said. "Though I can think of plenty of other boys who would love to take you up on that offer. Excuse me." He nodded once to her and walked away, leaving the girl quite surprised and irritated. Neji walked away from the people cluttered in one big mass at the center of the room. By now, some kids had begun to dance. Neji watched as they grinded up against one another, and he felt his stomach jump slightly. He looked quickly away, wondering how anyone could stand to dance like that. He turned his head back slowly, trying to control it but unable to. The people dancing, he saw, were good. he just didn't like the fact that they never separated from their partners. That was what ultimately ruined it for him.

"Having fun?" Neji whipped around and saw Sasuke smirking at him, holding a cup of punch and resting one of his hands on his hips. Neji sighed.

"Not at all," he said. "What are those people doing?" Sasuke looked at the dance floor.

"Getting as close to sex as their parents will let them get," he laughed. "I'll bet you find it pretty damn disturbing." Neji nodded.

"Only a little," he said. "It looks like they're having fun, but why would anyone choose to dance like that?" Sasuke shrugged.

"It's not that bad," he said. "If you're doing it with the right person then it's not all that disgusting." Neji just watched with a slightly revolted look on his face. He finally managed to tear his head away to look at Sasuke.

"Is there anywhere else we're allowed to go?" he asked, his voice cracking slightly. Sasuke stifled a laugh.

"Yeah, there's a game room," he said. "But that's about it." Neji nodded.

"Where's the game room?" he asked. Sasuke smirked and beckoned him to follow.

"It's down the hall, I'll show you," the Uchiha said. Neji followed Sasuke down a well carpeted hall and turned into another room, not quite as large as the last one, with TVs and video games set up. On the far side were a few pool tables and some foosball tables. Kiba was dominating DDR, Shino was playing a calm game of pool with a not-so-calm Lee and Chouji and Shikamaru were playing foosball. There were others in the room that Neji didn't recognize, but he didn't really care. He was just thankful to be away from that loud music and dancing that almost bordered on infernal. He settled himself down in one of the chairs and watched Kiba on DDR. He was currently dancing to a song that Neji didn't recognize and was playing on a high level. Neji was fascinated with the way Kiba's feet moved to all the right places at the right time, and how his body moved with them, his eyes still managing to stay on the TV.

"I'm going back, Hyuuga," Sasuke said. Neji nodded.

"Alright, Uchiha," he replied. Sasuke turned and left the room. Neji sighed. So far, things were not off to a good start.

And it just seemed to get worse. Just as Neji started to settle into the comfortable surroundings the game room provided, Naruto burst in and shouted, "Alright, the dance-off's about to start! Anyone who wants to join, get your ass down to the dance floor, and anyone who wants to watch, same goes for you!" He turned to Neji and smirked.

"Come on, Neji-san!" he said, grabbing Neji's arm. "You're at least watching." He pulled Neji and pulled the protesting Hyuuga down the hall back to the room he had tried so desperately to get away from. Neji made a face. _Damn._

Naruto pulled Neji into the humungous crowd now gathered around the dance floor. He didn't let go until the brunette boy was right at the front. Neji grimaced, trying to fall back out of the crowd but Naruto wouldn't let him. On the other side of the dance floor, also at the very front, Neji saw Sasuke, except the raven haired boy seemed to be having much more fun than he. Neji watched in irritation as Naruto jumped out onto the middle of the dance floor, his grin in place.

"Alright, everyone!" he said. "Basically, if you want to dance, you dance! But if you get pushed into the middle then you have to dance. Anyone can push someone else. Ready? START THE MUSIC!!" The crowd's deafening roar made Neji's ears ring and the Hyuuga lifted a hand to his ear, his face screwing up in a wince. He watched, unimpressed as a senior boy was pushed out into the center and started break dancing. He jumped up, did flips, and he even fell onto his back and began to push himself around, spinning like a top. Neji raised his eyebrow. He hoped he wouldn't be pushed out into the middle, but he knew Naruto would love to see him embarrass himself. The boy finished and a girl with black hair kept in a high ponytail went out into the middle, doing a belly dance that awarded her numerous shouts, jeers and even a few wolf whistles. Neji blinked, disinterested and disturbed. He wanted out. Now. But luck, unfortunately was just not on his side.

Before he knew what was happening, Neji felt himself being pushed out into the center of the dance floor and turned angrily to see Naruto, grinning and standing where he had just been, giving him a thumbs-up. Neji heard people shouting and caught a glimpse of Sasuke's face. The Uchiha boy looked as though he had suddenly become interested in the party. His eyes were wide with anticipation, his mouth was in the biggest smirk Neji had ever seen, and he was leaning slightly forward, waiting to see what the Hyuuga would do next. Neji internally panicked. He did not know anything about dancing the way these people danced. He only knew ballroom dancing. His father had had him go to lessons right until his dying day, and that was the only dance genre Neji knew.

He stood on the dance floor, doing nothing, appearing to be the epitome of casualness. There was a shout across from him and he turned to see the girl who had flirted with him earlier get pushed into the center. She looked at him and made a gesture as though telling him to start dancing. Neji just looked at her. He was frozen.

* * *

**HAA!! Neji's in a real predicament! Before I continue, I have one question; SHOULD HE DANCE?? **

**I'm leaving it up to the readers, but, know that he only knows how to ballroom dance...he's like the perfect prep, piano, art and ballroom dancing. Seriously. **

**Anyway, REVIEW PLEASE!! And answer the quesiton. Please! xD**


	9. Truth or Dare?

A new song started up and the girl began to dance, her hips swaying right and left, moving closer to Neji, who only stood still. He looked at her when she was close enough to him to hear his words, and said, "I can't dance like that." She stopped and looked back at him.

"Well, how can you dance?" she asked in a slightly snobby voice. Neji raised his brow.

"I only know ballroom dancing," he replied. The girl smiled up at him.

"So do I." Neji's other brow shot up.

"How much?"

"Enough."

"Alright. What dance would you like to do?"

"Tango?"

"Fine." Neji noticed, as did the girl, that the music currently playing was not suited to ballroom dancing. To be perfectly blunt, none of it was. But some of the songs were based loosely off of the kinds of songs Neji could dance to. And those songs still had the same rhythm and time that he was used to. And that was all that mattered. He quickly went over to Naruto and told him to change the track. Naruto complied, slightly surprised that Neji was even willing to dance. He changed the music and looked to Neji, who shook his head. He changed songs again. Bad Boy by Cascada. Neji paused and nodded. The girl grinned, trusting his choice. She nodded to Neji, who nodded back, and they began.

The song was slow at first, and they circled each other, stepping deliberately with the beat. The song sped up and they met in the middle, Neji putting his hand around the girl's waist, and she, lifting her hands up around his shoulders to rest them there delicately. And then, they were moving. They were moving swiftly and smoothly. If there was one word to describe the dance they were doing, it was seductive. As Neji was taught, each dance had a specific meaning; one that he should keep in mind while performing the dance, to help him become more in tune with his partner. In this case, the dance symbolized two people, a man and a woman, sharing a secret love, thriving only off their chance encounters with the other, until it became too much and they finally met and began a passionate relationship, which was described by the growing intensity in the steps of the dance.

Neji watched only the girl as she stepped around him, moving her hips and returning his gaze. She twirled behind him and wrapped her arms slowly around him from behind, bringing her bent knee slowly up his outer thigh. Neji let it linger and then turned quickly, sending her gracefully away from him. He walked in long and slow strides towards her and she backed away from him, moving deliberately and alluringly with every step. She moved forward to meet him, but, instead of taking hold of his hands, as was the next step, she spun around him and added her own variation; a modern variation. One in which she shook her hips from side to side, moving her head with them. Neji was not one for modern dancing, he knew, but he could improvise. He stepped up to her and took her hand, spinning her around to the center of the floor, where she continued her mini solo. Neji walked around her purposefully, waiting for her to finish.

When she did, she spun herself into him and he slowly dragged his left foot down behind him, kneeling down in an elegant stance. She turned to him and took a step back, her hands lightly on his shoulders, leading him as though controlling him. Neji walked to her and she stepped into him, brining her arms up around his neck and head, while he let his hands run slowly down her side. She turned away and began to walk around him, softly moving her hand around his neck, while he stood and waited. She began to turn when she was behind him and she spun faster when she was beside him. It was then that she extended her leg, turning to face him, and hooked it around his waist, leaning backwards, and letting him hold her up. She let the leg that was on the ground slide back and Neji took a step backwards, bringing her with him. He brought his hand down to her waist and placed it there, pulling her up. She straightened and her face was inches from his. She nodded once to him and he understood. She quickly stepped away from him. He spun her once and then she fell backwards, Neji smoothly catching her and lowering her down in an elegant finishing pose.

The song ended and the two stood, breathing quite heavily. The crowd burst into tumultuous applause. There were whistles, screams, shouts and cries. Neji nodded to the girl, formally thanking her for dancing with him, and turned to step back into the crowd. He was met with a shower of comments and hands slapping his shoulders and trying to pull him into bear hugs. Naruto's voice, as usual was the loudest of all of them.

"Neji, that was so amazing!" the blonde shouted. "You're awesome at everything!" Neji nodded and said wearily, "Arigato, Naruto-san." Sakura and Ino approached him, blushing.

"That was incredible, Neji-kun!" Sakura screamed, her hand clapped on his shoulder. Ino nodded in agreement.

"Yeah, completely!" she shouted. "I couldn't stop watching you!" Neji thanked them and continued trying to break free of the crowd that seemed to love him so much, thanking random people for their praise and pushing a sobbing Lee off of him.

He finally managed to get free and found Sasuke standing at the back of the crowd, shaking his head with a smirk adorning his features. He looked up at Neji.

"Wow," he said. "You should've seen yourself. You really tore it up there. I heard someone say it looked like sex on hard wood." Neji chuckled. He never thought about it that way. But it did make sense, if only a little. He looked at the Uchiha.

"Arigato," he said. "I don't intend to do it again." Sasuke laughed.

"I figured you'd say that," he sniggered. "But you do realize that you are going to be asked to do it again, right? I mean, you just boosted your popularity to about ten times what it was before. And it was pretty high to begin with. You won't be left alone at all now." Neji sighed and his hand found his temple, massaging it.

"I still can't believe I actually did that," he said. "I've never danced in front of so many of my peers before." Sasuke led him over to the long table, handing him a cup before getting one himself.

"Yeah, well," he said. "You're peers definitely liked it, so there's nothing much for you to worry about." Neji shrugged.

"So, what's going to happen for the rest of the party?" he asked, bringing the topic over to anything other than what he had just done. The Uchiha shrugged.

"You remember the games I told you about?" he asked. "Spin the bottle and truth or dare?" Neji nodded. Sasuke looked at him.

"After the dance-off, Naruto told me that he's going to have one big game of truth or dare, and then he's going to revert to spin the bottle." Neji looked slightly perplexed.

"He's hosting games that are normally played at girls' sleepovers at this party?" he asked incredulously. Sasuke nodded.

"You'd be surprised how much people enjoy these games," he said. Neji sighed, hoping he would be able to sit out the rest of the party and just watch from afar. Unfortunately, things went from pretty weird to just plain embarrassing.

"Okay, everybody, it's time for Ultimate Truth or Dare!!" Naruto shouted after turning the music off. Everyone quickly formed a lopsided circle around the dance floor. Sasuke sat down, pulling Neji with him. The Hyuuga was quite surprised that the game was so eagerly anticipated by everyone. He was also disappointed. He had hoped it wouldn't be all that popular and that Naruto would just say they didn't have to play it. _But things hadn't worked out for me up to now, so why should they suddenly get better?_ Neji asked himself. He sighed. His eyes fell on Naruto as the boy began an explanation of the game.

"Okay, so we go around the circle and ask each person if they want truth or dare," he said. "If they say dare, don't tell them to hurt themselves, others or wreck anything that'll get me in trouble!" He grinned as the circle of people started to shout to get the game started. The Uzumaki's blue eyes scanned the crowd until he found who he was looking for.

"Neji-san!" he shouted. "We'll start with you. Truth or dare?" Neji rolled his eyes and stifled a sigh.

"Truth," he said. Naruto looked slightly crestfallen, but then looked around the crowd.

"Okay, who wants to ask him a question?" he called. An unfamiliar freshmen boy simply covered with acne yelled out.

"Have you ever had sex?" he asked. Neji looked at him and shook his head.

"No," he said. "I've never had sex." He looked quickly to Naruto who reluctantly moved on. Neji sat, bored while the rest of the kids in the group answered questions or did stupid things. One girl was dared to glomp Lee, and Hinata was dared to flirt with Naruto, which had caused her to faint. Neji zoned out until Naruto reached Sasuke.

"Truth or dare, Sasuke?" Naruto asked. Sasuke shrugged passively.

"Dare," he said simply. Naruto grinned evilly.

"Okay," he said. "I dare you to kiss Neji." Immediately the crowd whooped and hollered and whistled, encouraging Sasuke to make out with the Hyuuga boy beside him. Sasuke laughed with the rest of them, until the laughter died down, and someone shouted, "Make out with the bastard already!" Sasuke looked at the guy who yelled, before placing his hands on Neji's shoulders, turning the boy to face him and slamming their lips together. Neji's eyebrow rose as Sasuke kissed him. Both boys' eyes remained open during the one and a half seconds in which they remained lip locked. They pulled apart and turned away from each other, Sasuke wearing a look that clearly said, "There, I did it, now quit staring." Neji wore a look that said, "Ugghh." Underneath, though, he felt strangely light. _This is weird._ He thought.

Compared to Neji's dance and the kiss, the party was fairly uneventful and Neji was thoroughly disappointed when he remembered that he had to sleep over. As the night slowly faded into early morning, the number of people thinned, until only the people Naruto sat with at lunch remained. They were the only ones sleeping over. At about two in the morning, Neji, who had almost fallen asleep several times, finally retired to Naruto's room and retrieved the blanket he had brought. He laid it down on the floor as far from the others' bags as possible and dozed off. He didn't hear everyone else come in, tired and dreary eyed. He didn't see Naruto put a finger to his lips and signal for everyone to be quiet. He didn't hear Sasuke set up his sleeping bag beside him. He didn't notice when the lights were turned off, because he had already fallen asleep.

The next morning, Neji's body woke him up before the sun. Neji sat up on his blanket, unable to get back to sleep. Quietly, he stood up, careful not to step on anyone, and quickly left the room. Shutting the door lightly behind him, Neji made his way to the entrance of Naruto's house. He had no plans of straying far from the Uzumaki's house. He only wanted to find a decent place to watch the sunrise.

He managed to find one. In clear view of all the East windows, Neji sat on a small path of grass and waited for the sun to come up through the trees, his mind straying to the kiss he had shared with Sasuke. He sighed as he remembered the confusing feeling that the kiss had aroused. He couldn't remember specifically what he had felt. He couldn't even remember specific parts of the entire incident; only that it had happened incredibly fast. Now that he thought about it, though, Neji did remember feeling very light during and after the kiss. He vaguely remembered loosening a little at Sasuke's touch; the soft caress of Sasuke's lips on his own. Neji sighed, trying to sort everything out, his thoughts a hopeless jumble.

Neji closed his eyes and opened them, seeing the soft growing light of the young sun as it began its journey across the sky. The Hyuuga's mind relaxed and he let everything out of it as he watched the pinks and purples dance their way across the sky. Right now, this was what he lived for.

The ironic thing would've been Sasuke coming out and sitting with Neji; the ironic thing would've been Sasuke admitting that he liked Neji; the realistic thing was that he didn't, and Neji was disappointed because of it. He waited on the grass, watching the sunrise until it had finished and then he lay back in the grass and closed his eyes, the lack of sleep catching up to him. He didn't sleep, but he dozed. He dozed for a while, about thirty minutes to be precise. During this thirty minute long doze, images of a certain raven haired Uchiha flashed through the Hyuuga's mind. Eventually, they disappeared and Neji shot up, his mouth parted, and his eyes wider than normal. It was then that Neji realized something crucial about himself; he liked Sasuke.

* * *

**Ack! Neji's feelings are becoming clear! And, omg, we don't know how Sasuke feels!! **

**Please review and tell me how u thought this chapter was. I was obsessed with Take the Lead when I wrote the dance scene, and, while I'm at it, I will say that I in no way own that movie. It's just awesome! Antonio Banderas is great!! **

**Anyway, I need to know how this chapter sounded and if I should change it. Thx, and c u all next update!!**


	10. Playing With You, Sasuke

Neji walked back into the house quietly to be met by none other than Uchiha Sasuke. The raven haired boy looked slightly relieved at seeing the brunette boy walk through the door.

"Where were you?" he asked, upon walking over to the Hyuuga. Neji blinked and looked down slightly.

"I was watching the sunrise," he said. Sasuke looked at Neji until the Hyuuga returned his gaze, and then smirked.

"You could've come to me, you know," he said. "I like watching the sunrise too." Neji's white pearlescent eyes looked into Sasuke's dark onyx ones and the boy saw that Sasuke was willing to look past the previous night if he was. Neji almost sighed with relief. They could go back to being friends without the awkwardness of the kiss getting in the way. Neji knew, though, that it would at least be awkward for him, knowing that he liked Sasuke, but he wasn't about to let that get in the way of their friendship. _Wow._ Neji thought. _It must be some sort of record. Falling for your friend three days after you met him. I must be crazy._ He shook his head and walked past Sasuke to Naruto's room, to await the awakening of the others.

It was an unusual Saturday. After he and Sasuke had sat down to wait for Naruto and everyone, Sasuke had recounted the kiss, asking if Neji felt weird about it. Neji had replied no, saying that it had only been a simple little game that called them to do that in the first place, and that it hadn't bothered or affected him in the least. Sasuke had then nodded and said nothing else until Naruto emerged from his room, rubbing his eyes and yawning. The group of teens had spent the day just walking around Konoha talking. It had almost been like a tour for Neji, who had never been to any of the shops, stores, or malls. Sakura and Ino had had a great time getting Neji acquainted with their favorite clothing stores. Sasuke had just pointed out different buildings that Neji should know about; the theater, good restaurants, a good bookstore that he was always going to, etc. Neji found that much more helpful than what Sakura and Ino were doing, but still, he let them drag him in and out of the stores they found interesting.

By the time mid afternoon rolled around, Neji had expressed that Hiashi expected he and Hinata back home and had bid everyone a quick goodbye, before turning and walking away, Hinata's hand clutched in his. They reached the forest path that they always took and Hinata wriggled her hand out of Neji's.

"I-I saw what Naruto-kun dared Sasuke-san to do," she said shyly. Neji nodded, but held his silence. Hinata, sensing he did not want to talk about it, pressed the matter no further and timidly slipped her hand through his. Neji looked from her hand to her face, and felt a small smile begin to reveal itself. He let his hand relax around hers and the two walked home, appearing to any and all who saw them, as two siblings from the same family.

Nothing much happened for the remainder of the weekend. Neji spent a relaxing Sunday morning at the sakura tree, and then spent a few hours on the piano. Monday was nothing special. Neji made more progress with the art project and was beginning to illustrate the background, which he modeled after Hiashi's garden. Sasuke looked hotter than ever in gym and Neji played beautifully in orchestra, as always. It was Tuesday that Neji was looking forward to. Auditions.

Neji walked into school with Sasuke as he normally did and decided to ask Sasuke a question that had been on his mind all morning.

"Are you going to audition for the violin part?" he asked.

"I already told you I would," the Uchiha said, grinning. "Do you think I don't keep my promises to my friends?" Neji shrugged.

"I never implied that you didn't," he replied. "I was only asking." Sasuke chuckled.

"Alright," he said. "Well, I am going to audition." Neji nodded.

"You'll get it," he said bluntly. Sasuke looked at him.

"What?"

"The violin part. You'll get it."

"How do you know?"

"I don't know how I know."

"Then how can you assume that I'll get it?"

"Do you know that you won't get it?"

"No."

"Then don't disagree with someone who says you will."

"You've lost me."

"Then drop it. See you second period." Neji nodded goodbye to a slightly confused Sasuke and turned into his English class. Today, Kakashi was on time, but he had a small orange book clutched in his hands and had told the class to do whatever until he finished. Neji had raised an eyebrow and looked apprehensively at Naruto, wondering what the crazy blonde would do today. The Uzumaki had grinned and asked Kakashi if he was enjoying his porn. Kakashi had gone slightly pink, mostly from the book, and had shut it and stuffed it into his pocket, telling Naruto to settle down. The blonde's grin was still in place but he complied. Class had then commenced as it always did. During second period, Neji had worked with Lee on their project and in third period, the Hyuuga was put on the spot by Gai and had made him cry by giving the right answer to a math question on his first try. Neji had to enlist help from Sasuke and Lee to get the sobbing Gai off of him. In science, Neji was able to relax for the first time that day without worrying about Naruto, Anko or Gai. Then it came time for art and Neji almost finished his drawing, having only a few spaces that were going to be flowers to fill in. In P.E. Neji played tennis with Sasuke again, and then lunch came and the Uchiha had insisted that it would be too loud sitting with Naruto's group so he and the Hyuuga had eaten lunch alone, much to Naruto's amusement. Finally, it was time for orchestra. Neji arrived and saw that everyone except the violinists that were auditioning, were sitting in their seats talking and laughing with each other.

"Neji-san!" Hayashi called, and Neji turned. He bowed.

"Konnichiwa, Hayashi-sensei," he said. "Are we holding the auditions during orchestra?" Hayashi nodded.

"And after school if we need to," she said matter-of-factly. "I don't know how many people are auditioning though." Neji looked at the violin section. Almost all of them had their violins.

"It looks like a lot," he observed. Hayashi, looking around him, nodded. She turned to him and smiled.

"Arigato, Neji-san for helping me with this," she said. "I apologize if I command too much of your time." Neji waved the apology away.

"It's fine," he said. "I want to see who I would play best with as well as who I think is best suited for the part so I can compare it to what you think." Hayashi smiled and nodded.

"Well, then let's get started," she said. "We're going to go alphabetically. I've moved the piano into the lesson room." She pointed to an open door and Neji saw that the piano was there as well as a chair, no doubt for Hayashi, and a stand for the violinist. He nodded to her and went to the piano to wait for the first person with whom he would play. Since they were going alphabetically and by last names Sasuke would probably be last, or pretty close to it.

A girl with a short brunette cut walked in and set her music up on the stand. Hayashi walked in behind her, smiling.

"Alright, whenever you're ready," she said. The girl looked at Neji, who nodded. She began to play. _Good move number one._ Neji thought. When ever someone played a duet with the piano they should always look to the pianist to make sure they were ready to start and for the cue to start. Conductors were next to useless in these duets.

The girl played well, Neji had to admit. She had a few mistakes, but excellently recovered from them, showing nothing in her face that betrayed her look of concentration. When she finished, Hayashi had given her helpful advice and saw her out, telling her to call in the next person, whose name Neji didn't bother to listen to. They went through more violinists and time passed slowly. Neji became slightly worried when one boy played the piece perfectly, but immediately forgot his worry when Sasuke walked into the room. The raven haired boy flashed a quick grin at Neji and then placed his music on the stand. Hayashi nodded and told him to begin when he was ready. Sasuke nodded, readied his violin and looked to Neji, who nodded. Sasuke began.

Neji raised a brow as the sound from Sasuke's violin filled his ears. It sounded so different from the others. Softer, smoother; as though he was afraid that the violin might shatter if he played too loud. Neji played with the Uchiha, fingers elegantly moving to the keys that would conjure up a sound that matched Sasuke's. The soft monophonic sound of Sasuke's violin matched the polyphonic sound that came from Neji's piano. The Hyuuga, trusting his fingers to hit the correct notes without his constant guidance, looked up at the raven haired Uchiha before him. Sasuke looked even more rapturous when he played standing up. His posture was more relaxed, but still, his back was straight. The pale hand that held the violin was rounded at the wrist and the hand controlling the bow moved a little more freely than when he was playing in his slightly cramped spot with the rest of the orchestra. His eyes were half closed, reading the music, but relaxing a little. Neji was fascinated. _Playing with you, Sasuke._ Neji thought. _Is like a dream._

All too soon, Neji felt, the duet ended and Sasuke was walking out of the room, giving Neji a small smile before he did. Hayashi stood and thanked Neji. Neji bowed and bid her goodbye. He looked to the clock and felt slight relief. Eighth period had only just ended so he might still be able to walk home with Hinata. The Hyuuga walked out of the room and found Sasuke waiting for him, leaning casually against the wall, his violin safely back in his orchestra locker. Neji looked slightly confused.

"Aren't you going home with your brother?" he asked. Sasuke shook his head.

"Nope," he said. "I'm going with you." Neji tilted his head to one side.

"But your house is in the opposite direction as mine," he argued. Sasuke smirked at him.

"Do you not want me to walk with you?" he shot. Neji blinked and shrugged.

"I suppose I do," he said. "Want you to walk with me, that is." Sasuke pushed himself off the wall.

"Good," he said. "Then let's go." He walked around Neji, beckoning him to follow, which the Hyuuga did. The two emerged from the school with the rest of the crowd and headed towards Konoha Forest, Neji in the lead, Sasuke, more beside him than behind him.

"So, how far in the forest do you live?" Sasuke asked.

"Just outside of it, actually," Neji said. "I'm fortunate to have an uncle who lives in such a favorable location." Neji realized immediately that he had inadvertently opened up the topic of his life before Konoha, something that he had always wished to remain secret, and wondered if Sasuke would say anything. But the Uchiha, being who he was, and knowing Neji as well as he did, knew that the Hyuuga would only feel awkward talking about something like that, so he kept his mouth shut. This one action, or lack thereof, left Neji feeling very grateful. Sometime, he didn't know how, but sometime within those few seconds that Neji had blundered and Sasuke hadn't responded, the Hyuuga had moved closer to the Uchiha, walking close enough beside him to feel their shoulders brush when they shifted their weight. Sasuke didn't object and Neji felt strangely comfortable with the situation. They walked in silence until they reached the forest and then Sasuke began another conversation.

"Have you ever been to Konoha's amusement parks?" he asked. Neji's shoulders slumped slightly.

"Thankfully, no," he replied, putting extra emphasis on the word _thankfully_. Sasuke sniggered beside him.

"No need to get snippy," he said. "I was just asking."

"Gomen," Neji said. "But it sounded an awful lot like you were going somewhere with it." Sasuke grinned and walked in front of Neji, stopping him.

"I was," he said. "Sakura and Ino have invited Naruto, Hinata, you and me to go to the amusement park with them this weekend. It would be rude to refuse, so you're going. No choice." He winked and turned, resuming his casual strut. Neji looked at him, his mouth open, his eyes wide.

"Now hold on," he protested. "How long has this been planned?" Sasuke just shook his head.

"Relax, it's not like it's going to be as big as Naruto's party, it's just six friends going to the amusement park. It's not worth going crazy over." Neji pouted slightly. A first for him.

"Yes, well, it involves me socially interacting with others, something I normally detest," Neji quipped. Sasuke rolled his eyes.

"Well, get used to it, because it's going to be happening a lot more often," he said. "It's inevitable. Especially now because of that amazing dance you did back at Naruto's party." Neji sighed.

"You know, I really believe someone must have spiked the punch, because that is not something I normally would have done," he said glumly, his eye twitching a little. Sasuke laughed.

"You know, I think you're just a bad ass at heart, and just couldn't take all that repressed energy!" he said. Neji chuckled behind him.

"Very funny," he said, irritation becoming apparent in his voice. Sasuke smirked and stopped, waiting for Neji to catch up with him.

"Yeah, well, anything's possible," he said, mock enthusiasm lacing into the cliché. Neji was silent. _Yes._ He thought. _Anything is possible._

* * *

**Okay, so this one is a little uneventful, but I'm just setting up for something very important to happen at the amusement park, and, as the title suggests, Neji playing with Sasuke is a vital foreshadowing bit too!!**

**Review please!! And if you guyses want, u can make predictions about what's going to happen!! OMG, I'll have so much fun reading them!! Jk. ;) **

**Yeah, and I know that whole "playing with you is like a dream" line is cheesy, but I'm just a sucker for that kinda stuff!! ;p **

**Oh, yeah, and NO MORE FINALS FOR ME!! WHOOOO!! I just finished the last one, so now it's nothing but the relaxation of summer for me!! xD**


	11. Secrets, Amusement Parks and Ice Cream

The two boys reached Neji's driveway and Neji turned, Sasuke following him his brow rising as he took in the sight of the large house.

"This is where you live?" he asked, impressed. Neji nodded.

"This is where I live, yes," he confirmed. He led Sasuke up the driveway and up the front porch. He opened the door and started to go in but saw that the Uchiha wasn't following him.

"Aren't you coming?" he asked. Sasuke smirked.

"Are you sure that would be alright with your uncle?" he asked. "I wouldn't want to impose." Neji looked at Sasuke a little skeptically.

"You know, I've never seen this polite side of you before," he observed. Sasuke nodded, folding his arms.

"There are a lot of sides of me you haven't seen, Hyuuga," he said mischievously. Neji smirked at him.

"Duly noted," he said. "I'll keep that in mind. Now are you coming in, or aren't you?" Sasuke hesitated for a moment. He really did want to go into Neji's house, if only for the fact that it was where Neji lived, but he didn't want to appear rude, or make Neji appear rude.

"Can't," he said. "Gomen. Itachi needs me back at our place. He can't do all the chores alone, you know." He started to turn but Neji stopped him on impulse.

"Wait!" he said. Sasuke stopped and faced the Hyuuga.

"Yeah?" he asked.

"Where do you live?" Neji asked. Sasuke looked at him, a strange expression crossing his face. He seemed to hesitate.

"In an apartment with my brother," he replied, his voice strangely flat. Neji cocked his head quizzically.

"Can't your parents afford a house?" he asked, and then turned immediately red, realizing what he had just asked and how incredibly rude it was. Sasuke looked stiffly away and Neji attempted to mend the situation.

"G-gomen nasai, Sasuke, I-I didn't think of—" he started desperately, stammering like Hinata. Sasuke raised a hand, silencing him. Neji shut up. Sasuke looked up at him, his eyes strangely hollow and hard.

"My parents are dead," he said, his voice harsher than he had intended. Neji flinched. His expression became empty again, but his face was still red from embarrassment. He bowed.

"Gomen nasai," Neji said, shutting his eyes as his hair fell forward, creating a thick silky curtain around them. He straightened and quickly turned to head into his house, but felt something on his shoulder. He didn't need to turn to know that it was Sasuke's hand.

"Hold on," the Uchiha spoke, exercising great control over his voice. Neji tensed.

"Yes?" he asked quietly. Sasuke's other hand found his other shoulder and turned him to face the raven haired boy. Neji's white eyes looked into Sasuke's black ones and both looked at the other, unblinking.

"Why did you come here?" Sasuke asked seriously. Neji knew he owed it to Sasuke to tell him, especially since he had basically just forced the same information out of the Uchiha just now. The Hyuuga sighed, unable to tear his eyes away from the mesmerizing black orbs on Sasuke's pale face.

"My father died," Neji said, his voice without emotion. Sasuke raised his brow.

"What about your mother?" he inquired. Neji blinked.

"She died giving birth to me," he informed. Sasuke nodded. He stepped away from Neji, who was still tense. Sasuke opened his mouth to say something, but Neji stopped him.

"Don't you dare apologize," Neji said. Sasuke smiled, though it was a little shaky.

"So, you've gotten tired of those words too?" he said. Neji nodded, a bittersweet look crossing his face.

"Completely," he said. "Apologies and condolences only succeed in sounding patronizing and pitiful. They're always better left unsaid." Sasuke chuckled softly.

"Now you just sound bitter," he said. "It's definitely a good thing that you're going to the amusement park. Maybe it'll get you to open up more." The Uchiha's normal expression of friendly sarcasm was back in place and he waved lazily to Neji.

"I've gotta go," he said. "See you tomorrow." Neji nodded and watched as Sasuke walked away. The Hyuuga sighed and turned away. He knew full well that only one thing could ever get him to open up and it wasn't a trip to the amusement park.

Oddly enough, Neji's mistake during that walk had made both boys feel as though their friendship became official; sealed. Now they were almost inseparable. At least in school anyway. They would always walk with each other through the halls and Sasuke would always walk Neji home, making the latter feel like a pathetic needy schoolgirl sometimes. It was amazing how close they had grown over the course of a few days.

Saturday rolled around and Neji was looking forward to the amusement park outing just as much as he had been looking forward to Naruto's party. Hinata came to him timidly, dressed in a light blue t-shirt and capris and waited patiently for him. When he had finished collecting the money Sasuke had said he would need, Neji went over to Hinata and they both went to the door, preparing to leave. Hinata opened it to reveal Sasuke, who looked bored and as though he had been standing there for a long time. Neji looked slightly skeptical.

"You know, you could've just knocked and we would've let you in," he said. Sasuke shrugged.

"I didn't want to disturb you," he said simply. Neji sighed.

"Fine, let's go." The three of them started off to meet Sakura, Ino and Naruto at the beginning of Konoha Forest. Hinata had attempted to make friendly conversation with Sasuke who, to Neji's immense relief, did not resist her efforts. He answered all of her questions and responded with some of his own. Neji walked silently between them, hiding a smile.

They arrived at the entrance to the forest and spotted the other three immediately, Sakura in a nice pink shirt with a matching skirt. Ino wore the outfit she had worn when Neji was drawing her. Neji grinned when he saw it and she returned the look, expecting nothing less from him. Naruto wore an orange t-shirt with blue jeans and his enormous trademark grin. Upon seeing Sasuke and Neji, the hyperactive blonde ran over to them, clapping the former on the back.

"Hey, so that's where you were, Sasuke!" he shouted. "Sakura and Ino were throwing a fit!" He jerked his thumb over to Ino and Sakura, who were both very red. Sasuke shook his head, grinning.

"Well, we're all here," he said. "Let's go." Ino immediately regained her pep.

"Yeah! Come on guys!" she shouted, grabbing Sakura's arm and pulling the excited pinkette along the sidewalk, followed by a just-as-hyper Naruto, a ten-times-as-shy Hinata, a passive-but-slightly-looking-forward-to-it Sasuke and a totally-regretting-letting-Sasuke-talk-him-into-this Neji. Oh yeah, they were ready.

They arrived at the amusement park and Ino gave their tickets to some angry looking man behind a booth who was mumbling about bosses who don't know how to tie their damn shoelaces, and hurried the rest of them into the park. Once inside, Neji looked apprehensively around. Children were running all over the place, screaming as loud as they could, parents were following them around, making sure they didn't kill someone, but not trying to mitigate the noise they were making. Teenagers walked through the park, making fun of rides they deemed childish, but going on them anyway, and throwing barf bags at each other. Of course, this was an exaggeration, as only one teen did that specifically, but Neji still looked on all of the adolescents with eyes of distaste. He didn't like it here. He turned to Sasuke.

"Can I go now, please?" he asked, his voice a little higher than usual. Sasuke smirked and shook his head.

"No," he said. "But, if you want we'll start with the little rides. How about the Ferris wheel?" Neji raised his eyebrow indignantly. He may not have liked it there, but he sure as hell did not take well to being treated like a child; especially by one of his peers.

"I'm not afraid of amusement parks," he clarified slightly frustrated. "I just don't like them." Sasuke shrugged.

"Well, too bad," he said. "Cause Ino and Sakura won't let me leave, so there sure as hell is no way, I'm letting you leave." Neji sighed and said nothing else. Sasuke turned back to Ino and Sakura, who were both explaining what their day would consist of. At the same time. Their words were so muddled it's not even worth my time as the author to write them in. In the end Sasuke had to step in, telling them both to shut the hell up. They complied and Sasuke asked Ino to calmly tell everyone what their plans were. The Yamanaka flashed a quick triumphant grin at a downcast and irritated Haruno and then proceeded to explain the day's events.

"Well, I figured we'd split up into groups," she said. "If anyone wants to go straight to the roller coasters, then they can go with one group. Anyone who wants to start a little slower can go with the other group. Then we'd meet for lunch." Naruto raised his hand.

"How do we know where to meet for lunch?" he asked, voicing what everyone else was thinking. Ino smiled.

"I've already thought of that," she said. "I'll have my cell on and I can give my number to everyone who's going on different rides." She looked pleased with herself.

"Who wants to go on the roller coasters first?" Ino asked. Naruto, Sakura and, surprisingly, Hinata, all went over to Ino. Neji stayed where he was and Sasuke stayed next to Neji. The former shrugged.

"I don't feel like going on roller coasters right now," he said. Sasuke nodded.

"I think we'll start slower," he said. Ino nodded smirking, her eyes flashing from Neji to Sasuke.

"Ferris wheel?" she asked, a sly tone to her voice. Neji ignored it. Naruto grinned and winked.

"Have fun guys!" he said. Neji ignored him too. Ino walked over to Sasuke and quickly extracted a small piece of paper and pen from her small bag and scribbled down a number, handing it to the Uchiha.

"Call me around noon," she said. Sasuke checked the time on his phone. 10:15.

"An hour and forty-five minutes?" Ino nodded.

"Yup. Then we'll talk about where everyone's going to meet. Okay?" Sasuke nodded. Ino grinned and turned to the others.

"Alright, let's go!" she said, an excited edge to her voice. They all nodded and turned and headed to the nearest roller coaster, inserting themselves into the rather short line. Sasuke turned to Neji.

"Ferris wheel?" he asked, grinning. Neji scowled.

"What is it with that ride!?" he asked in frustration. Sasuke laughed.

"Just teasing you," he said. "But seriously, it doesn't get much slower than the Ferris wheel." Neji shrugged.

"Alright then," he agreed half-heartedly. In less than fifteen minutes, the Hyuuga was standing in the line for the Ferris wheel, staring up at the colorful ride with a scowl on his face. _Damn amusement park._ Neji thought to himself. He wished people like Naruto could at least leave him alone during the weekends.

Although, Neji had to admit, he was feeling a little better since it was just him and Sasuke. The two watched as the people before them got onto the Ferris wheel and then finally climbed into one of the gondolas and sat across from each other. The wheel began to move and Neji quickly turned to look out at the landscape that became smaller yet clearer as they went higher. He had to admit it was a little interesting. He turned and saw that Sasuke was watching the view as well.

"This is why Ferris wheels are sometimes better than roller coasters," the Uchiha said. "The view is completely worth it." Neji turned back to the beautiful picturesque sight and nodded.

"I suppose it is alright," he said. He heard Sasuke laugh at this.

"Can you just enjoy it without being stiff and stubborn?" he asked. "Quit it with this pathetic grudge against amusement parks."

"Hmph," Neji grumbled. He turned back to Sasuke and leaned back.

Neji felt the ride stop and looked around. They were at the very top of the Ferris wheel. The Hyuuga raised a fine brow.

"Why are we stopping?" he asked. Sasuke shrugged.

"To give people time to get on the empty gondolas," he replied. He pointed down and Neji looked over the side of their gondola and saw that people were indeed climbing onto the Ferris wheel. He pulled his head back and sighed.

"This," he started. "Is a very unusual—" He cut off and immediately went a little tense. Sasuke looked at him, confused.

"What?" he asked. Neji pointed behind Sasuke. The raven haired Uchiha turned in his seat to see what had irritated Neji so much. A couple, a boy and a girl about Neji's age were making out in the gondola behind them and the boy was doing incredibly suggestive things with the girl's shirt and skirt. They were making noises that both Neji and Sasuke didn't think they needed to hear until they were old enough to drink, and besides that, the whole display was just disturbing. Sasuke knew immediately why Neji froze up. Rolling his eyes, the Uchiha called out, "Hey, you want to save that for the bedroom?" The boy pulled away and turned to scowl at Sasuke.

"A little PDA never hurt anyone, chief," he shot. "Just because you guys aren't into it doesn't mean we can't be." With that he turned and began to passionately make out with the girl beside him, who managed to glare at Sasuke before her mouth was ravaged again. Neji raised his brow. That last statement of the boy's was a little unnerving. Was he suggesting that Sasuke and Neji were _together_? Neji hoped not, but he knew better. The quip didn't really make much sense if he hadn't implied that they were a couple. Neji reached out and put a hand on Sasuke's shoulder when it looked as though the Uchiha was about to say something. The latter looked at the former and nodded, turning away from the irritatingly disturbing sight.

"Great start to our fun filled day at the amusement park, huh?" Sasuke smirked and Neji couldn't help but chuckle and nod. For the remainder of the ride Neji and Sasuke sat trying not to listen to the moans and gasps coming from the gondola behind theirs. Finally, when the ride finished, Neji quickly stepped down onto the pavement and started to walk away, knowing Sasuke was behind him. The Hyuuga felt a bump against his shoulder and turned to see the boy who had snapped at them walking with his arm around the shoulder of his girlfriend. The brunette boy stopped and shook his head, Sasuke moving protectively to his side. He smirked.

"If we were a couple," the Uchiha said. "I'd beat him up for you." Neji grinned to keep from turning red.

"I don't think that would be a good idea," he said. "You're not as tough as you look." Sasuke looked at Neji with a grin and shoved him playfully.

"Now that just hurts," he said. Neji chuckled.

"So what next?" he asked. Sasuke shrugged.

"Well, I think anymore rides are out of the question," he said accurately. "You want to get some cotton candy or ice cream?" Neji nodded.

"Alright," he said. He and Sasuke turned and walked casually down the paved path, dodging passersby and their children. Neji spent a lot of his time looking around at the different stands and games and found himself somewhat interested in it all. He had never expected these things to look so appealing. Especially the ice cream and cotton candy stands. Neji would never admit it, but ice cream was one of his weaknesses. When he and Sasuke arrived at the closest ice cream stand with the shortest line, Neji felt a strange feeling of eagerness begin to well up within him. He became even more anxious when it was his turn to order. The brunette ordered a simple waffle cone with two scoops of vanilla ice cream. Sasuke ordered chocolate. Neji reached into his pocket to retrieve his money but Sasuke stopped him.

"My treat," the raven haired boy said. Neji tried to protest but the Uchiha didn't listen. Soon they were on their way, both licking their ice cream. Neji turned to Sasuke.

"Thank you," he said. Sasuke nodded.

"Your welcome," he said. He returned to absentmindedly licking at his chocolate ice cream.

"Let me try yours," Neji said before he could stop himself. Sasuke blinked but held out his cone and Neji leaned in, licking some of the sweet creamy substance, savoring the taste of it, and then moving away, unable to prevent a slight pink color from finding his cheeks.

"Good?" Sasuke asked, grinning. Neji nodded.

"Yes," he agreed. Sasuke turned forward and continued eating his ice cream. Neji faced slightly away from Sasuke, trying to hide his blush. They walked around the amusement park for a while, Neji vehemently refusing to play any of the games there, and soon it was 11:56.

"I think we should call Ino now," Neji said. Sasuke nodded and took out the piece of paper the blonde Yamanaka had given him. He quickly punched the number into his phone and then brought it up to his ear, waiting patiently. Neji watched him silently. Finally Sasuke started talking into the phone. It was quick and when the Uchiha put his phone away he looked slightly irritated. Neji assumed that Ino had tried to flirt with him over the phone.

"Well, we're going to meet them at the ramen stand we passed when we were coming in," Sasuke informed him. "The one you didn't like because the guy behind the counter called you a girl." Neji slumped slightly, scowling.

"Bastard," he hissed as though the offending boy could hear him. Sasuke laughed.

"Don't worry about it," he said. "If he does that again all you have to do is throw your ice cream at him; which is going to melt all over you if you don't finish it soon." Neji looked down to the cone clutched in his hand and saw that it was dripping a little. He quickly brought it up to his lips and attempted to save it from completely melting in his hands. Sasuke chuckled, having finished his cone a while ago.

"Here, let me help you with that," Sasuke offered. He took a step towards Neji, leaned in and licked away some of the escaping ice cream droplets. Neji was surprised at how close their faces were, but Sasuke didn't seem to notice. He pulled away, wiping a finger over his mouth and then looked at Neji.

"There," he said. "Now finish it quickly before it gets beyond the point salvation." Neji blinked and began to finish his ice cream, taking no notice of what he was doing and thinking only of how close he had been to the Uchiha only moments earlier. Sasuke began to walk back in the direction of the entrance and Neji followed, ice cream in hand. The two boys arrived at the ramen stand and, as Sasuke was told, were met by Ino, Sakura, Hinata and Naruto. Neji tried not to look at the boy behind the stand, but it was hard as he chose that moment to whistle loudly at the Hyuuga. The brunette boy twitched slightly but turned away, ignoring the irritating acne-ridden teen, as was his talent. Naruto grinned.

"Hey Neji, why don't you give him your number?" he teased. Neji responded quite passively.

"Naruto, if you seem so intent on this, then why don't you give him your number?" he replied with a sigh. Naruto rolled his eyes and turned to Ino.

"Alright, let's eat!!" he shouted. "I'm starving!!" He quickly turned and ran to the stand shouting his order to the surprised boy sitting behind it. Sakura shook her head and turned to Sasuke and Neji.

"So what did you guys do?" she asked.

"Not much," Neji said stoically. "We just went on the Ferris wheel." Sakura and Ino exchanged a sly glance. Neji raised his eyebrow but chose not to say anything. He knew what they were thinking and he knew that nothing of what they were thinking actually happened. Unfortunately Sakura and Ino weren't done yet.

"How did it go?" Ino asked, a slightly mischievous tone in her voice.

"We saw a couple making out behind us, and we asked them to stop," Sasuke replied with a shrug. Sakura and Ino blinked, taken aback.

"What?" Ino asked a little stupidly. Sasuke shook his head.

"A couple was making out behind us and we asked them to stop." Sakura leaned forward slightly.

"Was it just like a PG kiss or was it R?" she asked. Sasuke chuckled.

"It was definitely closer to R rated," he said. Neji nodded and shuddered. Sakura's eyes widened.

"We saw a couple making out on the roller coaster we were on," she said, trying not to laugh. "They didn't know how fast it was though, and the girl ended up losing a tooth." Ino giggled.

"It was pretty damn funny," she said. "They almost yelled at us for laughing." She broke off, laughing at the memory. Neji raised his brow.

"How ironic," he said. Sasuke nodded, now chuckling at the idea of a girl losing her tooth because her boyfriend bumped into her a little too hard on a roller coaster.

"Hey guys, are you going to get anything or not?" Naruto asked, his mouth full of ramen. Hinata had a small bowl of ramen and looked flushed.

"It's really good, nii-san," she said to Neji. "You should try it." Neji nodded.

"Then I will," he said. "But if he hits on me, then I can't vouch for what I might do." Sasuke laughed.

"I'll get it for you," he said. "What kind do you want?" Neji shrugged, reaching into his pocket.

"Any kind," he said, pulling his hand back out and handing Sasuke some of his money. The Uchiha took it and walked over to the stand. Ino and Sakura followed, leaving Neji with Naruto and Hinata. Naruto grinned slyly at Neji.

"So, have you asked Sasuke out yet?" he asked. Neji looked at Naruto, tilting his head down so he could better view the blonde.

"No," he said, a slight edge to his voice. "What about you? Have you asked my cousin out yet?" Naruto's face went red, but it was nothing compared to Hinata's blush. The red that filled her face could make a tomato look washed out. She had to sit down to keep herself from fainting. Neji shook his head and turned away, waiting for the others to come back. When they did, Sasuke handed Neji a small bowl of ramen, his change and a small folded up piece of paper that made Neji cringe.

"His number?" he asked, thoroughly disgusted. Sasuke laughed and nodded.

"I told him I'd give it to you," he said. "You know what's really pathetic is that he still thinks you're a girl." Neji's jaw dropped.

"You didn't tell him I was a boy?" he asked incredulously. Sasuke shook his head.

"It was way too funny that he thought you were a girl," he said. "I didn't want to ruin his fantasy." Neji gagged and put his ramen down on the table Naruto was now sitting at.

"I'm not hungry anymore," he said, his voice cracking. Naruto grinned and grabbed the ramen, devouring it like he was his own. Sasuke shook his head, still stifling laughs.

"Don't let it ruin your entire day," he said. "It's not like we're going to be hanging out at the entrance all day." Neji sighed, closing his eyes in irritation. Ino smirked.

"Buck up, Neji-kun!" she said, putting her hand on his shoulder. "Just ignore him. He's probably failing school." Neji grimaced and crumpled the piece of paper and threw it in the nearest trash can, ignoring the disappointed look on the face of the boy whose number he had disregarded. He waited rather impatiently for everyone, Naruto in particular to finish their food. When they did, Ino said that they would be playing the games around the amusement park. That was a full two hours of boredom for Neji, who, besides knowing nothing of how to play any of them, had no interest in the pathetic bowling games and ring toss games. He stood on the side watching as Sakura won a pink fluffy bear and as Naruto tackled the kid who ran the squirt gun game out of anger at the fact that he made fun of his ability to effectively shoot the squirt gun. That had been funny.

"Are we almost done here?" Neji asked Sasuke after Sakura had won her fifth stuffed animal. Sasuke shrugged.

"It's impossible to tell," he replied. "I never know just how long these girls can go in situations like these. You'll have to wait a bit longer. Sorry." Neji sighed but waved the apology away.

"Don't apologize," he said. "I'm the one not trying to have fun here." Sasuke raised a brow.

"So why don't you try to have fun?" he asked. "Do you want me to win you anything?" Neji turned away from Sasuke to hide his red face.

"No," he said quickly. "Thank you," he added as an afterthought. Sasuke nodded.

"You're welcome," he said. Neji nodded and waited for Sakura to finish winning yet another stuffed animal. The rest of their day at the park was fairly uneventful and they were leaving the amusement park at about seven o'clock, Sakura with a grand total of eight stuffed animals, Ino with a grand total of zero and Naruto with several balloon animals. He had also won Hinata a small stuffed bear, which had drawn a very profuse blush from her. Neji and Sasuke had nothing, the former feeling immense relief at being allowed to finally go home, and not willing to divulge the fact that he did have fun, if only a little when he was alone with Sasuke and watching Naruto lose it and go crazy on a little kid.

"So, I guess we'll see you guys on Monday," Ino said as she turned to go to her house with Sakura. The pink haired girl would've waved goodbye had her arms not been full of little stuffed bears and dogs. Naruto waved a cheerful wave to Neji and Sasuke before grabbing Hinata's hand and pulling her with him towards his house. Apparently he had asked her out after Neji made the rather snide comment about it. Sasuke watched the two of them go and then turned to the Hyuuga.

"Come on," he said. Neji stopped him.

"Shouldn't you head back to your place?" he said, slightly embarrassed. "I don't need you to walk me home everyday and Itachi probably needs your help with something." Sasuke shrugged.

"Alright," he said. "I'll see you tomorrow." Neji nodded and blinked. Sasuke would be coming over to see him on Sunday? _Oh god, this is just too much._ The stressed Hyuuga thought wearily.

* * *

**Ooooohhh, Neji and Sasuke bonded over ice cream, how cuuute!! At least I think so! Please tell me what u all think!! **

**HA!! Naruto asked Hinata out!! Neji was mistaken for a girl!! There was a rude couple making out!! Review please and tell me if I should change anything!! xD**


	12. Homophobia

He turned around and headed off into Konoha Forest. He walked slowly down the path, enjoying the sight of the green trees and the glimmers of sun filtering through their branches that cast fleeting patches of light on the dirt path. Neji sighed contentedly. He was gradually growing on this place. This Konoha. It was beginning to feel slightly normal for him. However, it didn't feel like home. Not yet. Despite the fact that his life seemed to be looking up for the first time in a long time, Neji was still a pessimist, and that, at least was there to stay.

The Hyuuga closed his eyes, momentarily stopping, and breathed in the fresh forest air he enjoyed so much. Before he knew it, he was turning off the path and into the dense forest trees. He wasn't afraid of being alone, nor of getting lost. He had remembered the twists and turns of this forest on his morning walks to school with Hinata and on his frequent trips to the sakura tree. He had a good sense of direction and always was able to find a way out of a bad situation, if it was direction oriented. For a while, he walked randomly, with no destination in mind. But then, as he walked into unfamiliar territory, he became a little more alert, memorizing each and every turn he took. He made note of everything he saw, every flower, every plant, every creature; mostly birds and flowers. He found a beautiful bunch of red begonias and bent down to examine them. They were truly a spectacular sight; the light pink color of the petals fading into a darker red, and the yellow center standing out and drawing the most attention to itself. Neji looked on, enchanted. He knew that these flowers meant fanciful nature, and the Hyuuga blushed, thinking of Sasuke.

Then he heard a noise, and it alarmed him. It was a faint shout. A shout that seemed to demand attention. His head snapped up and he looked around, trying to trace the source of the cry. He stood up, abandoning the flowers and began to walk quickly forward, slightly unsure if that was the correct direction. He heard the shout again and his pace quickened. It sounded as though a desperate cry; a call for help. And Neji needed to answer it. His quick walk turned to a jog as he heard the cry again, this time loud enough to give him a vague idea of where it was. He continued to follow, a feeling of foreboding spreading throughout him like a fire spreading throughout a forest.

He reached a small slightly clearer area of the secluded forest and his eyes widened. A boy; a teenage boy was being chased by three very strong looking boys. They looked to be seniors while the other boy looked to be a sophomore. He had sandy blonde hair and a very angry yet frightened look on his face. The boys chasing him looked very amused and one of them shouted out in a jeering, mocking tone, "Hey, faggot, where's your boyfriend?" Another laughed.

"Yeah, why isn't he coming to save your ass?" Neji raised his eyebrow and decided that that was all the motivation he needed. He quickly stepped in between the one being harassed and the ones doing the harassing. He looked hard at them, his normally calm pearlescent eyes, now clouded with cold anger. He stood coolly and glared at the offending party.

"What are you doing here?" he asked. The boys looked back at him and one of them smiled.

"You the fag's bastard boyfriend?" he sneered. Neji shook his head.

"No," he replied emotionlessly, his stoic voice ringing throughout the forest, filling the air with a chill. The boys looked at him rather stupidly.

"Then why're you here?" one challenged. Neji looked back at him coldly.

"Why shouldn't I be here?" he countered. "Are you doing something you shouldn't be doing?" Of course he knew very well what was going on, the situation and how it appeared made everything obvious, but a little mock patronization never hurt anyone. The boy looked angry and his hands clenched into tight fists, his muscles making themselves apparent. Neji watched him warily.

"You're starting to annoy me," the brute said. Neji only stretched his neck up slightly, putting the most patronizing, superior look on his face that he could muster, and stared at the boy.

"Well then, why don't you leave and then I won't be annoying you anymore," he said. The boy's eyes narrowed and he scowled at Neji, assessing his strength.

"I have a better idea," he growled. "Why don't you leave?" Neji raised both of his elegant brows.

"That sounds swell," he said. "I'll leave and I'll take this boy with me." He indicated to the slightly confused blonde boy behind him and watched as the muscled boy smirked.

"Nice try, but no go," he said. "Just get the hell out of here and maybe you won't get hurt." Neji looked hard at him.

"Is that a serious threat or are you just posturing?" he inquired sarcastically. The boy glared at him.

"That's a serious threat, dumb ass!" he said, his voice rising angrily. "Now what's it going to be?" Neji looked at the boy behind him and then at the three boys in front of him. He turned back to the sandy haired boy. He silently mouthed the word, "Run." The boy nodded, turned and bolted. The three brutes all blinked stupidly for a moment and then the one closest Neji made an angry noise and charged after the blonde. Neji stuck his foot out and gritted his teeth as he jerked backwards, a result of the heavy boy falling over him. The Hyuuga quickly recovered himself and turned to the others, who were all slightly surprised by this sudden attack. They soon regained the ability to move and glared angrily at Neji. The brunette's fight or flight reaction kicked in and soon, the Hyuuga was sprinting after the blonde boy. He caught up fairly quickly and grabbed the boy's hand, not daring to look behind him, and pulled in the direction of his uncle's house; the safety zone. As Neji ran he heard angry shouts behind him and he sped up, spacing out his breathing and pushing his hair out of his face. Years of playing soccer and tennis had done him well. As he ran further, the boy's panting growing louder and shaper, Neji began to recognize his surroundings. He felt slightly relieved. Almost there.

He sped up a little more, the boy stumbling and tripping behind him, now clutching at a sharp pain in his side.

"Keep going," Neji said back to him, his voice surprisingly even. The boy nodded and stopped stumbling, attempting to keep up with Neji. The shouts were getting closer and Neji felt worried. If they caught up to them, then he and the boy were done. He couldn't fight off three teenage boys as muscular as the ones chasing them were. The only chance he and the boy had was to outrun them. They were doing fairly well, too.

Neji finally reached the dirt pathway that, right now, he loved more than anything, and he turned onto it. The boy let out a relieved sigh that turned into a cough. Neji knew where to go now. He kept running, not faltering, nor allowing the boy to falter. Finally, and not a moment too soon, his uncle's driveway was in sight. Neji couldn't help the grateful smile from gracing his lips as he turned onto the driveway, the shouts and yells behind him now very close behind them. Neji charged up the stairs onto the porch and burst through the door, pulling the boy behind him into the house and slamming and locking the door behind him. The sandy haired boy leaned over, his hands on his knees, breathing hard, sweat falling from his brow. He stood, wiping it away and turned to Neji.

"Arigato," he gasped. Neji nodded, breathing heavily but not panting. The boy smiled at him.

"You're a really good runner," he said. Neji nodded.

"Arigato," he replied. "Are you alright?" The boy nodded.

"Hai, I think so," he said. Neji nodded, but inspected him anyway. Aside from being exhausted, sweaty and extremely nervous the boy had a very red and rapidly swelling ankle. Neji knelt down and lightly placed his hands on the red and slightly puffy area. He heard a sharp intake of breath and looked up to see the boy biting his lip in an effort to prevent himself from wincing again.

"This happened when you were running from those boys, didn't it?" he asked. The boy nodded shakily. Neji stood up. He took the boy's arm and draped it over his shoulder.

"Lean on me," he said. "It must hurt." The boy complied, and shifted his weight so that most of it was on the Hyuuga. A slight blush crept into his cheeks. Neji led the boy over to the couch and sat him down.

"Stay here," he said. "I'll be right back." The boy nodded and examined his ankle, grimacing as he did so. Neji walked into the kitchen and found Hanabi sitting at the counter, eating an apple and reading. She didn't look up as he approached her.

"You shouldn't slam the door," she said huffily. "It's rude." Neji looked at her.

"Well, I'll try to remember that," he said. "But, I need your help now. Do you know how to treat injuries?" Hanabi looked up and nodded slowly.

"Why?" she asked.

"Because there is a boy in the other room who needs that kind of treatment," he replied. Hanabi raised her eyebrow and her look became skeptical.

"So, you're bringing home boys instead of girls?" she teased. "I never thought you were that way." Neji shrugged.

"I never thought I was that way either," he said, and felt rather satisfied at Hanabi's look of disappointment. "But he needs help regardless of that." Hanabi nodded and got down from the stool she was sitting on. She followed Neji into the living room and stopped when she saw the boy sitting on the couch. Neji beckoned her over and she came, taking in the sight of him. She knelt in front of him and her eyes were drawn to the boy's injured ankle.

"How did this happen?" she asked. The boy looked at her.

"I was running," he replied carefully. Hanabi's piercing gaze fell on him.

"From what?" she asked. The boy looked pointedly away. Neji sighed and shook his head.

"He was being chased, Hanabi-san," he said. "I stepped in and helped him, and that's how he ended up here." Hanabi nodded.

"What's your name?" she asked the boy. He looked at her.

"Takeda Soichiro," he replied. She nodded.

"It's nice to meet you, Takeda-san," she said politely. "Though the circumstances under which we meet are certainly unfavorable." Soichiro chuckled slightly.

"I need to get some ice," Hanabi said, standing and heading to the kitchen. Neji sat next to Soichiro and looked seriously at him.

"Why were they chasing you?" he asked. Soichiro flinched slightly at the question. He took a breath and then closed his eyes.

"Because I'm gay," he said quietly. Neji's look softened.

"I'm not surprised," he said. "The way they were talking to you it certainly sounded as though you were gay." Soichiro nodded. He looked at Neji.

"You didn't need to help me, you know," he said. Neji shrugged.

"You didn't need to let me," he replied. Soichiro reddened and nodded. Neji looked forward and stopped a sigh.

"Is homophobia a huge problem here?" he asked. Soichiro shook his head.

"To the extent of my knowledge, they're the only ones with a problem with homosexuals," he said. "But they're pretty influential." Neji nodded.

"Are they senior?" he asked. The boy nodded.

"They've never done anything like this before," he said. "Until now it's just been threats and taunts. But I think that was because I'm dating a tough guy." Neji nodded and remained silent. The boy continued.

"He was always around me, and I think that's what stopped them from physically hurting me," he said. Neji nodded and turned to the boy.

"You should call your parents," he said. "I think they should know about this." Soichiro nodded.

"They know," he said. "They know all about it. But, you're right. I should call them." He started to stand but Neji gently pushed him back down.

"I'll get the phone for you," he said. He turned and headed into the kitchen as Hanabi came out, a bag of ice wrapped in a towel in her hands. She gave Neji a brief nod when she passed him and kneeled down in front of Soichiro, carefully applying the ice.

Neji found the phone in the kitchen but, as he reached out to take it, paused. He thought about the event for the first time since it happened. A boy was being chased because he was gay. The boys chasing him seemed pretty intent on hurting him. If Neji ever got up the courage to tell Sasuke how he felt would this be how he was treated? All of a sudden Neji became afraid of his feelings. If they got him or Sasuke hurt it would be his fault. Sighing, the Hyuuga took the phone and went back to the living room, making the ultimate decision that he'd keep everything he felt to himself. For his sake and for Sasuke's.

* * *

**Gasp!! Oh my god, I just distanced the two protagonists and made their quest for love all the more difficult! **

**I have to admit, I was unsure at first about putting this chapter in. I wasn't sure if I wanted to deepen the plot this much more, so I need everyone reading this to tell me what they thought and whether I should take this out and just have Sasuke and Neji get together sooner. I need REVIEWS!! Please! ;)**


	13. Lovesick Music

Close to half an hour later, Soichiro's parents were picking him up, the boy's mother fussing over his ankle and thanking Neji profusely, while simultaneously sobbing and hugging both him and her son. Neji hadn't objected, not wanting to admit it, but had vaguely enjoyed the motherly attention Soichiro's mother was giving him, thinking that perhaps this was what having a mother must feel like. And for a scant moment he envied those who had mothers and fathers as well.

He was called out of his reverie, however, by Soichiro.

"Thank you, Hyuuga Neji-san," he said. "I'm sorry to have caused you so much trouble." He bowed and his mother put an arm around the brunette boy, drawing him in to her.

"Please, Hyuuga-san," she said warmly. "If there is anything we can do for you, just ask." Neji tried to smile at her, but he knew it would only show as a grimace, so he contented himself with bowing respectfully.

"Please," he said. "It was a merely a good thing that no further harm was done to Soichiro-san. That was favor enough." The woman smiled warmly and placed a kiss on Neji's cheek, bid him goodbye and yet another bout of gratitude and took her son and husband to their car. Soichiro's father, who seemed stunned beyond the point of speaking, merely waved, a look of immense gratitude on his face, as he got into his car. Neji watched as the car revved into life and drove away, an expression of deep thoughtfulness adorning his face. When the car had gone and there were no more sounds or signs of it echoing through the forest Neji turned and headed back into the house, closing the door behind him. Hanabi sat on the sofa, legs and arms crossed, her eyes on Neji; searching and discovering. She sighed as he came into the living room.

"You seem deeply troubled by this," she remarked cynically. "Have you never had an experience with homophobes before?" Neji sat down beside her and sighed, closing his eyes and shaking his head weakly. He leaned back and she looked at him.

"Has this been an issue for very long?" he asked. Hanabi shook her head.

"Not this issue in particular," she admitted. "But the forest has been used as cover many times before. Though the number of times was going down. At least until today. I don't know why they would choose to do this now." Neji nodded and was silent. Hanabi cocked her head.

"Does this affect any of your plans?" she asked. Neji looked at her, searching her eyes for any sign of laughter or mocking.

"You mean my plans to confess love to someone of the male gender?" he inquired. Hanabi nodded, her eyes intensely serious. Neji nodded solemnly, pearlescent eyes never once leaving opalescent ones.

"Yes," he said. "It does." Hanabi turned away and stood up.

"Well," she said. "You should tell him, then. I'm not going to bother telling you why because I know you already know all that." She headed back into the kitchen, no doubt to finish her reading and Neji retired to his room. As he ascended the stairs he thought. _Yes, I do know why._

Neji concerned himself with nothing more that day, becoming completely antisocial. Hanabi probably helped a little bit, which explained why he wasn't called down for dinner. The tired Hyuuga drifted off to sleep within the hour his head touched the pillow.

His body woke him as normal; 5:30, and he dragged himself from bed, body aching from his long and unexpected run the previous day. His muscles protested as he walked to the bathroom, but began to calm as he stepped into the shower, the warm water cascading over his pale skin, soothing him. He dressed himself in a light t-shirt and capris and went down to the kitchen, hoping to find no one else up. However, luck and irony were against him. As Neji walked into the slightly cool kitchen, he saw his uncle sitting at the counter reading a newspaper. He looked up as his nephew approached.

"Neji-san," he said. "I heard about what happened the other day." Neji nodded.

"Hanabi-san told you?" he asked. Hiashi nodded. Neji looked down.

"I apologize for brining him into the house without permission, Hiashi-sama," the brunette Hyuuga said, bowing. Hiashi waved the apology away.

"Neji-san," he said. "I have no desire to see you so calloused in your own home. Well, what I hope you will one day consider a home." Neji only looked blankly at Hiashi.

"Did Hanabi-san tell you what else I said?" he asked softly, mentally slapping himself as soon as the words had left him. Hiashi raised his brow but nodded.

"She did, and that's why I'm up so early," he said. "I wanted to talk with you about that." He looked seriously at Neji and for a minute the younger Hyuuga was reminded of his father. And then, Neji was only four years old again, being scolded for breaking the favorite vase that had once been his mother's. His trance was broken, however, when Hiashi's deep voice penetrated his thoughts.

"Would you mind terribly if we discussed such a personal matter?" he asked carefully, his voice kind but authoritative. Neji hesitated, then nodded. He was not about to lie to the man who was his father's beloved brother, and now a dear guardian to him.

"With all due respect, Hiashi-sama," he said. "I need to ascertain my feelings before discussing them with anyone." Hiashi nodded and placed his hands on Neji's shoulders.

"I understand, Neji-san," he said. "And I thank you for being honest with me. You're your father's son yet." Neji looked down to hide his moist eyes.

"Arigato, Uncle," he said quietly. Hiashi smiled and removed his hands from his nephew's shoulders. Neji bowed, turned and left the kitchen. Both he and Hiashi knew where he was going. The brunette boy walked calmly out into the garden, passing through it without a second thought. He continued through the small forest path, ducking under leaves and branches and stepping over roots and twigs. He finally reached his destination and sat down, gazing up at the beautiful sakura tree before him. There was no sun in the sky today, only endless gray clouds, spreading throughout the sky creating a deep blanket that stretched infinitely onward. Neji's eyes gazed unblinkingly at the tired sakura blossoms swaying in the slight breeze. He sighed, wishing he could tell Sasuke, or anyone how he felt without the fear of being judged getting in the way. Neji closed his eyes wondering when he had ever worried about being judged. This had to be a first for him. He slowly leaned back and rested his head on the velvety grass underneath him; he let his breathing even and felt himself succumbing to a feeling of drowsiness. Slowly, calmly, he slipped into a light sleep, thankfully, void of any dreams.

A while later, Neji felt himself wake to the feel of a soft touch on his arm and opened his eyes, bringing into focus a blurry green world. He saw a face above him; a face he recognized and always loved to see.

"Sasuke?" Neji croaked, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. Sasuke grinned above him and pulled the Hyuuga into sitting position. Neji looked at him and blinked sleepily.

"What are you doing here?" he asked. Sasuke shrugged, shifting his body from a kneeling position to a sitting one.

"I told you I'd come to see you today," he said. "Hinata led me out here." Neji looked slightly surprised as he remembered the past day's events. Sasuke had told him he'd be coming to see him on Sunday. Neji sighed.

"Then you don't know what happened?" he asked. Sasuke looked confused, but it bordered on concerned.

"What do you mean?" he asked, his posture suggesting that he was more concerned than confused. Neji pinched the bridge of his nose.

"It happened yesterday," he said, finding it harder to put the story into words than he'd initially thought. Sasuke leaned towards him.

"What happened?" he asked once again. Neji turned to face him halfheartedly.

"I helped a boy who was being chased," he said. Sasuke was silent, his posture still stiff, and his expression now shocked.

"You what?" he asked quietly.

"There was a boy being harassed," the brunette boy said. "I noticed him on my way back from the amusement park. I stepped in and we ran to my uncle's house. He told me that they were abusing him because he was gay. Homophobes." He spat the last word out as though it disgusted him. Sasuke involuntarily moved back at Neji's disdain. He slowly and cautiously put a hand on Neji's shoulder, causing the other to jump slightly. The Hyuuga's head snapped over to Sasuke, where he looked at him with wide lavender eyes. Sasuke looked back at the brunette boy with what he hoped was a reassuring look.

"Have you ever had an experience with something like this before?" he asked. Neji, suddenly timid, shook his head.

"No," he said. "Never. And I'd hoped to keep it that way. Now I'm sure they're probably going to want to get back at me for that incident." He chuckled a little to help lighten the mood, but Sasuke's face was still serious.

"Don't worry about that," he promised. "They're not going to get anywhere near you." Neji cursed himself quietly as a pomegranate blush crept into his cheeks. _Damn, now I'm acting like a girl as well as looking like one!_

The two friends sat out by the sakura tree for virtually the rest of the weekend. On Monday, Neji was surprised to find Sasuke waiting for him, ready to walk him to school. Hinata had grinned somewhat slyly, which was very unlike her, Neji noted, and she had walked to the outside of Neji, allowing him to walk next to Sasuke. It was a very interesting morning. When they arrived at school, they were hounded by Naruto, as usual, but something new caught their eye. There was a piece of paper on the bulletin board that listed dates and events. A familiar name attracted Neji's attention and a minute later, he was tugging Sasuke over to the board, pointing. Sasuke read over the paper and smiled.

"So I got the violin part, huh?" he said. Neji smirked.

"I guess so," he said. Turning to the Uchiha he said, "I'm not fond of bragging but I told you so." Sasuke grinned and shook his head. He bowed mockingly.

"Well, it's going to be an honor playing with you, Hyuuga-sama." Neji chuckled at the banter and inclined his head snobbishly.

"The feeling's mutual, Uchiha-san," he said stuffily. Sasuke laughed and straightened, leading Neji to his locker. Naruto, Tenten, Sakura, Ino, Chouji and Lee watched with raised brows. Naruto grinned.

"Is it me, or are they really obvious?" he asked. Tenten nodded.

"They do seem to be very comfortable around each other," she agreed. "Maybe too comfortable to be just friends." Lee struck a pose.

"We must help our youthful friends kindle the fire of love and passion!" he declared. "I, as Konoha's handsome green beast will make it my duty!" Sakura giggled and nodded.

"Amen to that," she said, smirking.

"I'm in," Ino said. "Besides, I'm really good at playing matchmaker." Chouji shrugged, crunching on his chips.

"Shouldn't we just let them find out their love for each other on their own?" he asked innocently. The others looked at him for a moment before all saying simultaneously, "Nah!"

Neji sat through English class and he was bored as ever. He already knew all of what they were talking about. He had learned it _last year_. It kind of sucked having to retake a class you took last year. The Hyuuga hated listening to Anko scream during second period too. At least Lee wasn't pestering him today. Actually, the normally energetic boy was uncharacteristically silent today, stealing would be subtle glances at the Hyuuga. In math class, he was just as quiet, something which proved to be very startling to Gai, who almost had a seizure when Lee wasn't sitting at rapt attention like he always was. After math class finished Lee stayed after and spoke very secretly to Gai, who seemed to perk up immediately. Neji just shook his head and left, not bothering to try and fathom whatever it was they were talking about. Science was uneventful, as always, but Iruka was quiet and laid back, as always. In art, Ino struggled to finish her drawing of Neji, which, although it was no where near as good as Neji's drawing of her, was pretty damn good. In P.E., Naruto seemed to be obsessively shadowing (STALKING) Sasuke and Neji. When they would catch him, he would always come up with some lame excuse to get out of it, like, "Sasuke, you had a bug on your back. I was just trying to flick it off." Lunch found Sasuke eating alone with Neji again, this time on Naruto's and surprisingly, everyone else's encouragement. It was orchestra that Neji was really looking forward to. When he arrived he quickly went to the piano, ready and eager to play. Hayashi called him and Sasuke over to her quickly before class started and told them that they should begin to work together after school as much as possible so they could get used to playing the duet together. Neji hadn't said anything, and wouldn't say anything, even on pain of death, but he was looking forward to playing alone with Sasuke again.

Orchestra that day passed fairly quickly in Neji's mind, and soon Sasuke was walking him home, violin and music in hand.

"You're sure your uncle won't mind me coming over on short notice?" he asked Neji. The Hyuuga shook his head.

"It's for school purposes," he said, slightly irritated. "He won't mind." Sasuke sighed but persisted no further. They soon arrived at Hiashi's house and Neji led Sasuke in. He found Hiashi in the living room and approached him respectfully. He bowed.

"Hiashi-sama," he said. "I apologize for interrupting you, uncle, but I would like to know if my friend Uchiha Sasuke can stay for a while. We're practicing a duet for orchestra." Hiashi looked intrigued and nodded.

"Of course you can say, Uchiha-san," he said. "You're actually the first friend my nephew has bought home. It's quite a momentous occasion." He grinned at Neji, who smirked.

"There's no need to get sarcastic, Hiashi-sama," he said. Hiashi laughed.

"Very well, Neji-san," he said. Turning back to Sasuke, he said, "It was very nice to meet you, Uchiha Sasuke. I won't detain you from your practice." Sasuke bowed politely.

"Arigato, Hyuuga-sama," he said. "I appreciate your letting me stay." The elder Hyuuga nodded and turned back to the book he was reading. Neji led Sasuke to the room with the piano. The Uchiha looked around.

"There's not much in here," he observed. Neji shook his head.

"That's one of the reasons I like it so much," he said. "There's only the piano, a stand, a couch and the window. I think it looks nice enough like that." Sasuke looked over at the Hyuuga.

"You're right, it does," he agreed. "Shall we start?" Neji nodded.

"Alright," he said. He sat down at the piano stool and set the music on the stand. Sasuke set up next to him, facing the Hyuuga and set his own music on the stand before him. He readied his instrument and looked to Neji. The Hyuuga nodded and Sasuke began. His look became one of serenity and calamity as he played the first few measures. Neji watched his music and the raven haired boy before him and came in just when he was supposed to. His fingers flowed with the notes and so did his body. In fact, now that he was alone with the one person he trusted more than anyone else, Neji let go of his stiff exterior and became open, allowing the music to completely take control of him. Sasuke watched him during his periods of rest and felt his breath hitch in his throat. Neji was acting…differently now than he was during orchestra. He seemed more comfortable. Sasuke hadn't remembered seeing the delicate brunette boy move like this during school.

Perhaps move wasn't the right word. Sasuke strained to think of a better one but was forced to shove the thought to the side as the time came for his entrance. He lifted his slender arm and began to slide the bow gently and beautifully over his instrument, conjuring from it soft, high tones. He soon lost himself to the music, unaware that Neji frequently stole small and secretive glances at him while he played. The Hyuuga couldn't help it. There was something very graceful about the way the Uchiha played. His back was arched ever so slightly, accentuating his thin figure, and his eyes were closed as though he had memorized the piece and was now playing from memory. His fingers were delicately curved around the bow and his arm moved it back and forth over the violin as though it were glass that might break if he pressed too hard. His neck was stretched and the violin rested underneath his chin. The hand holding the violin was rounded at the wrist, as it always was, and his feet were rooted to the ground, but his body still managed to sway fluently with the music.

Neji and Sasuke played together, their sounds coinciding with each other to make one beautiful song that filled the house. In what felt like no time at all, the song had finished and Neji and Sasuke's sound stopped. Neji slowly put his hands down in his lap while Sasuke slowly lowered his violin. They both turned slowly, almost shyly to face the other. Eyes of white locked with eyes of black and they both remained still, looking at only each other, seeing only each other.

But then the trance was broken and Neji looked away, afraid to look into the endless onyx eyes of the Uchiha any longer. He slowed his breathing and attempted to slow his rapidly beating heart, surprised that Sasuke couldn't hear it. He stood slowly and turned to the kitchen.

"Would you like anything to eat or drink?" he asked, trying to keep his voice from wavering. Sasuke looked at him.

"No, thank you," he replied, his voice calm and his expression unreadable. "I think we should play it again. I made some mistakes during the middle section." Neji nodded stiffly and sat down again. He placed his hands on the keys and looked to Sasuke, waiting. The Uchiha's violin was raised and the raven haired boy looked at Neji, who nodded. Sasuke didn't start right away. He only looked slightly awkward and said softly, "You look so serene when you play piano under the right circumstances." Neji froze slightly. He forced his suddenly very heavy head to face Sasuke and he asked, "And what are the right circumstances?" Sasuke looked back at him and replied, "When you're alone or with someone you…"

"Trust?" finished Neji. Sasuke nodded. Neji went pink and turned back to his music.

"Arigato," he said. "Let's begin." Sasuke nodded and watched as Neji nodded before beginning the song once again. Neji, once again fell into time perfectly, playing exactly when he should've. Once again, Sasuke noticed how beautiful Neji looked when he played, and once again, Neji stole quick furtive glances at the object of his affections, watching with baited breath as he called forth the soft music they both seemed to love.

Once again, Hiashi watched as Neji slowly released his emotions in the form of the soft dulcet tones of the piano, thinking to himself. _I think Neji's finally found the angel who can sew together the delicate fragments of his torn heart. _

* * *

**Ooooh, poor Neji!! He still can't tell Sasuke how he feels!! Is it just me or am I giving some MAJOR hints that Sasuke likes Neji??**

**Weelll, I need reviews, people!! PLEASE REVIEW and tell me what u think and if I should change it!! **

**And while ur at it, if u want to, count how many times I used the word "please" in my little author notes after all the chapters. It seems like I use that word a lot. **


	14. Matchmakers and Boyfriends

For the next few weeks Sasuke would spend a few hours after school practicing with Neji. The concert was getting closer. The orchestra, as was expected, was gradually mastering and perfecting the songs they would be performing. There would also be, Sasuke and Neji were informed, a few rehearsals with the singers who would be performing with the Uchiha and the Hyuuga. Those few weeks after that first practice with each other were very musically oriented. There was also something else going on. Something that had absolutely nothing to do with music.

Naruto and co. had decided to try and get Sasuke and Neji together. They spent a good few hours after school planning for that. It started with simple things, like making them eat lunch together alone. And then it would escalate into accidental on-purpose meetings. Though that hardly seemed appropriate, since the two already spent virtually all of their time together. That made things much more difficult for Naruto, since both Sasuke and Neji were comfortable enough with each other that if he did something completely crazy like lock them in the janitor's closet together, they could just talk until someone found them. There would be no sexual tension, no awkward silences. Just two guys locked in the janitor's closet with a bunch of mops. Cool as you please.

Ino had suggested that she get her parents to send flowers to Neji with a card that said, "From Sasuke" on them, but Sakura had pointed out that Neji would be way too smart to fall for something like that. And besides, Sasuke would never do that. He just wasn't a flowery kind of guy. Chouji had given them the bright idea to just let the love unfold itself over time and it would eventually blossom from a little bud into a beautiful flower. Everyone had rejected the idea, refusing to be patient and watch as two aloof and oblivious teenage boys tried not to make the first move.

Oddly enough, Itachi's friends were in on it as well. Itachi himself, however, seemed a little hesitant for reasons he would not reveal. Deidara and Sasori, who had both been friends with Sasuke for a long time and who had both taken a shine to Neji, wanted to see the two hot intellectuals end up as an item. They had just pitched the idea of casually holding a conversation where one of the boys could hear it about how the other felt about him. If they had no feelings for the other, then they would see right through it, but if they liked the other, they would believe it. It would be a simple test, and if it proved positive then they would go from there. That idea had been taken under consideration, along with many others; some actually pretty good, while others completely ludicrous.

Now, although it was apparent they were acting weird, they had certainly chosen the correct time in which to act weird. Sasuke and Neji were preoccupied with the concert and thus paid no attention to what their already very unusual friends were doing. The group of matchmakers had already held numerous "meetings" after school to discuss how they would subtly get the two boys to become a couple.

And yet another of those "meetings" was held today after school. Naruto, Ino, Sakura, Chouji, Lee, Tenten, Kiba, Shino, Hinata, and even Gaara, Shikamaru, Kankuro, Temari, Deidara and Sasori had shown up.

"Alright guys, any more ideas?" Naruto asked. Sakura shook her head.

"I got nothing," she said, disappointed. Ino shook her head, looking downcast. Everyone in the group mimicked them. Deidara spoke up, sounding very much like he was pissed off.

"And I talked to Itachi-chan, and the bastard still won't help us!" he shouted. Sasori rolled his eyes.

"He just says that there's no way Sasuke-chan'll go for Neji-san," he spat. Naruto shook his head.

"Boy will we prove him wrong," he said, grinning. Shikamaru shook his head.

"God, you guys are like a conspiracy," he mumbled. "Tch. Troublesome much." Naruto scowled at him.

"Shut up, Shika!" he growled. "Unless you have any good ideas?" Shikamaru shook his head.

"You have to make sure that you're meddling is subtle," he pointed out. "Real subtle. Those guys can see through just about everything. If you can, get one to suggest something to the other that has to do with his interests but that still reveals his supposed feelings. It's simple if you think about it." A silence followed the logic. Then Ino threw her arms around Shikamaru.

"Awesome, thanks Shika-kun!" she squealed. "That's perfect!" Sakura stepped in.

"But they're already in orchestra together," she said. "What does that leave?" Ino looked thoughtful. Lee stepped in.

"Art!" he shouted, his hand shooting up triumphantly. Sakura's thoughtful frown became an optimistic smile.

"Perfect!" she said. "I think we can think of something that has to do with art that could arouse some…certain feelings in them." Ino turned to Hinata.

"Hinata-chan," she said. "You live with him. What else is Neji-kun interested in?" Hinata turned red.

"Well," she started. "T-they both have gone to a…certain area in the forest that's kind of romantic. It might work if you send them there." Ino nodded and hugged Hinata, who blushed even more.

"Arigato, Hina-chan!!" she squealed. Sakura nodded and turned to Naruto.

"We'll get the details worked out and then we can see if it works," she said. Naruto nodded.

"Oooh, this is going to be so much fuun!!" he shouted, his fists clenched and quivering with excitement. Lee nodded.

"Let the spark of youth burn and sizzle with the white hot intensity of a thousands suns, until it grows into a scorching fire of love and passion!!" he shouted. Naruto nodded.

"Not bad, Bushy Brow!!" he shouted, clapping Lee on the shoulder. "Let's go!" He turned and left, followed by Lee, Sakura, Ino, Deidara and Sasori. Kiba turned to Shino.

"It was kinda a one-sided meeting, don't cha think?" he asked, watching Naruto. Shino only shook his head and sighed.

Sasuke arrived home that day at about five o'clock. He put his violin down and searched out his brother, who was on the couch, watching TV and eating instant ramen. Sasuke approached him and he looked up.

"How went it?" the elder asked. Sasuke grinned.

"It went the way it always goes," he replied. "Great." Itachi nodded, his attention turning back to the TV.

"You know, I got a call from him," he said. "He says he's going to be moving here. He's a freshman now too, right?" Sasuke's face paled. He froze.

"W-what?" he croaked. Itachi looked at him.

"I didn't think it was that big a deal," he sighed. "I got a call from him a few weeks ago, and I was going to surprise you, but then Neji came into the picture and it seems like you two have been getting awfully close, which made it harder for me to tell you." Sasuke blinked and plopped down next to his brother, his dark eyes staring blankly into space. He couldn't seem to find anything to say. Itachi spoke up again.

"I have to say," he said matter-of-factly. "It certainly looks to all of your friends that you're friendship with Neji is going somewhere serious, and it looks that way to me too. And if you back out now, it might appear as though you were leading him on. At the very least you should tell him what's going on." Sasuke just sat there, his mouth slightly open, his eyes wide and unfocused, his mind a jumbled mess. Truth be told, he had completely forgotten about the guy he used to hang out with all the time. Neji had made it easy to forget a lot of things. But now, the memories were coming back and he remembered why he missed the bastard so much. Now, he was confused. Plain confused. His feelings for Neji, which had never been that strong to begin with, were clashing with his other feelings.

His one true worry was; would anything between him and Neji change if he told the Hyuuga he had a boyfriend?

Sasuke woke the next morning momentarily forgetting what had happened the previous day. But in a moment it all came flooding back to him; his discussion with his brother; the fact that he had a boyfriend who was now going to attend the same school as he; and all of the guilt he felt at not having told Neji about any of it. He quickly showered, ate and dressed himself, and then his body walked itself to Neji's house to walk him to school as always. Sasuke blinked when he saw the white house surrounded by trees in front of him. He sighed. It had become routine to him. Being friends with Neji became routine to him. And breaking that routine in any way would just feel wrong. And besides that, he just plain didn't want to break it.

Neji emerged from the door with Hinata and Hanabi, and nodded to Sasuke. Hanabi went off to elementary school and Hinata, Neji and Sasuke went to Konoha High. They were always quiet in the mornings, all of them preferring to just let themselves wake up as they passed through the forest, and this morning was no different. Sasuke tried his best to maintain a calm and normal silence, but Neji kept glancing in his direction, his face slightly worried. Sasuke may not have known it, but Neji could tell when Sasuke was uncomfortable. Most of the Uchiha's friends could. Hinata as well. She had gotten to know him through Neji and could easily tell from his stiff posture that he wasn't on top of his game that day.

They arrived at Konoha High as they always had, and, as always Naruto met them enthusiastically upon their arrival. Today, he ran at them, pretended to trip, and then fell into Neji, knocking the rather surprised brunette into Sasuke, who glared at the Uzumaki. Neji's face went only slightly pink at the sudden contact with Sasuke, but the blush immediately disappeared and he stepped away from the Uchiha. However, Naruto managed to catch sight of the fleeting color, and he grinned.

"Gomen ne!" he said sheepishly. "Guess I gotta look where I'm going!" Hinata giggled at Naruto as the blonde backed away from the two death glares sent his way by two rather irritated teenagers. He quickly grabbed her hand, shouted, "Come on, Hinata-chan! We don't want to be late!" With that, he took off, and Hinata managed to squeak out, "I'll see you later, Nii-san!" before being dragged into the school. Neji raised an eyebrow.

"Since when does he care about being late?" he sniggered, shaking his head. Sasuke scoffed.

"Who the hell knows?" he replied. The Hyuuga turned to Sasuke.

"Let's go," he said. The Uchiha nodded and followed Neji into Konoha High, still thinking about how to tell Neji about his boyfriend.

Neji, on the other hand, thought that this day was going to be like any other. He had no idea that Sasuke was having probably one of the biggest internal debates as was possible, and he had no idea about his friends' scheme to get him and Sasuke together. He had no idea that that day was going to be totally wild.

English and history class went by without anything out of the ordinary happening. Naruto pissed off the teachers, obviously, and Lee was back to his crazy self and everything was normal. It was in math class that something unusual happened. Gai had stepped in front of the class and announced loudly, "Alright, class, I want everyone to think of whom they are going to give a Valentine's Day card to!" Neji had blinked and several students raised their hands.

"Gai-sensei, it's only October," one pointed out. The rest nodded, rather perplexedly. Gai shook his head, sighing in a pitying way.

"My dear students," he said, his tone deep and emotional, as always. "You must begin thinking about this now, for the month of February is approaching faster than you think! Soon, it will be here and you will be panicking, trying to discover the special person for whom you feel youthful passionate love!" Lee nodded vigorously, on the edge of his seat, and sitting straight up with wide eyes. Gai continued.

"In fact, you're homework will be to write down the name of the person with whom you feel this special connection and bring it in tomorrow! Anyone who doesn't will have detention with me!" The class audibly gasped. Some students even grabbed out a piece of paper and wrote the first name that came to mind, regardless of gender. Neji sighed. He knew who he would give a Valentine's Day card to. Sasuke. Hands down. He quickly grabbed out a piece of scrap paper and wrote the Uchiha's name down.

At the end of class, Gai stopped him.

"Neji! My youthful student!" he boomed. "I noticed you were writing the homework down during class! Are you really that eager to forge the bond of trust and infinite companionship with a certain someone?" Neji looked at him and, suspecting he would never get out of class if he didn't go with the flow, nodded. Gai beamed.

"Very well!" he said. "Will you please hand your answer to me now?" Neji nodded and handed Gai his folded up sheet of paper. His teacher clutched it to his chest and held up his hand.

"I promise that I shall never let this fall to prying eyes that would use it against you! I swear now, an oath of silence that I shall never reveal the sacred contents of this paper to anyone! I give my word that I will never allow anyone, not even my closest friends to lay a hand on this document that you have entrusted to me!" Neji raised his brow and stepped away, turning and leaving Gai to himself. The teacher didn't seem to notice Neji's absence as he opened the paper and read the name the Hyuuga had written. His eyes widened and sparkled as he grinned.

Neji went to science and sat through a boring lecture and then did a very simple lab. In art Ino and Sakura approached him. Ino was beaming.

"Neji-kun!" she squealed. "We got a hundred on our project! I just spoke to Kurenai-sensei now! Isn't it great?" She threw her arms around him in a bone-crushing hug. Neji let her hug him for a moment before pushing her off, trying to catch his breath.

"That's great, Ino-san," he said, a small grin on his face. "I told you yours was good. I don't know why you see the need to put yourself down so much. You have much more talent than you let yourself think." Ino blushed and Sakura smirked.

"Neji-kun," she said. "We're doing wildlife sketches today. I'm looking forward to it so much!" Neji raised his eyebrows in fascination as Kurenai entered the room.

"Alright everyone, take your seats!" she called. The class complied.

"Today, we will be going outside and sketching some wildlife," she informed. "You will be working in pairs and we'll be heading into the forest. This is the first time the school has ever allowed me to do this so don't screw up." The class nodded and Kurenai told them all to pair up. Instinctively, Neji went over to Sasuke. Sasuke grinned.

"Beat me to it," he said. Neji smirked. The Uchiha stood up and they both left the classroom after Kurenai and with the rest of the class, unable to see Sakura and Ino exchanging triumphant looks with Kiba and Naruto.

The group walked across the lawn and into the forest. Kurenai yelled at them all to stay within shouting distance of her and then let them loose. Neji immediately walked off to find something fascinating to draw, Sasuke at his heels.

"Do you know where you're going?" the raven haired boy asked the brunette one. Neji nodded.

"Yes, I do, Uchiha," he said. "I've gone on numerous walks out here and I know the layout quite well." Sasuke shook his head, chuckling.

"All I needed was a yes or no," he pointed out. The Hyuuga shrugged.

"Oh well," he said. The two walked for a while before Sasuke heard Neji's sharp intake of breath and stopped, looking to see the cause of his friend's sudden and abrupt halt. He walked beside Neji and had to stifle a gasp himself. They were in a clearing that was filled with hundreds of different flowers of all different kinds. It was a breathtaking sight. Without hesitation, Neji opened his sketchbook and knelt down, fingering his pencil and letting his white eyes take in the sight before him. Sasuke, on the other hand, went to a particular bush covered in soft white flowers. Smiling to himself, the Uchiha opened his own sketchbook and began to draw what was before him. He finished long before Neji, having only drawn one bush, and when he was done, he closed his sketchbook and silently walked over to the brunette Hyuuga, kneeling down behind him and looking over his shoulder, careful not to disturb him.

He was not at all surprised to see that Neji's drawing looked identical to the real thing, only in graphite. He watched as Neji's delicate fingers deftly led the pencil across the paper, forming lines and shapes and connecting them all. Sasuke's eyes widened as he saw something else in Neji's picture that he had somehow missed. He saw himself, kneeling down on one knee, leaning towards a group of flowers adorning a small bush, with his sketchbook on his left knee and his pencil in his right hand. It was a view from behind and all Sasuke could see of his two-dimensional head was his black hair spiked at the back, two loose strands falling in front of his face, hiding any bit of it one might've been able to see from that angle.

Neji soon finished and turned to see Sasuke's awed face behind him. He gave the raven haired boy a small smile, and the Uchiha shook his head.

"So, you managed to get me in before I finished," he said. Neji nodded, his smile growing only a scant bit.

"Actually, you were the first thing I drew," he said softly, going slightly pink. "You just seemed to fit the surroundings." Sasuke nodded, otherwise unmoving.

Had anyone seen them at that moment they would've gotten the wrong idea completely. Sasuke was down on one knee, leaning towards Neji, whose torso was turned to face the Uchiha, his head tilted upward, since Sasuke was slightly taller than him. Neji tore his eyes away from Sasuke and let them rest on his sketchbook.

"Let me see yours," he said. Sasuke grinned, flushed slightly and opened the book. Neji looked at it and his eyes widened. So the Uchiha had a talent for art as well. The Hyuuga reached out and took the drawing from Sasuke, heading over to the bush that Sasuke drew. The latter followed. Neji knelt down in front of the bush and examined the white buds, so small and fragile. His eyes darted from the page to the bush and after a moment he turned to Sasuke.

"This is excellent," he said. Sasuke grinned and reached out, taking hold of Neji's hand, pulling him up. The brunette handed him the sketchbook and Sasuke shook his head.

"This is probably the most effort I put into anything that had to do with art," he admitted somewhat sheepishly. Neji only looked at him.

"Music is art," he pointed out. Sasuke returned and held his gaze for a moment before nodding.

"Yeah," he agreed. "It is." Without another word exchanged between them, the two boys turned and headed back to the entrance to the forest. They were met by Kurenai and the entire class, all waiting for them.

"Finally," Kurenai exclaimed. "I was about to go get you. Alright, let's go." She turned and led the class back into the school. Naruto grinned, hanging back with Neji and Sasuke, elbowing the former playfully.

"What were you guys doing back there?" he asked mischievously. Neji looked at him and then decided to give him what he wanted.

"Making passionate love," he said. Were it humanly possible, Naruto's jaw would've dropped to the ground, but it couldn't, so it merely dropped as far down as it could go. Sakura's eyes widened and Ino let out a squeak and her hands flew to her mouth. Kiba just whooped and shouted, "Alright!" Sasuke looked at Neji for a moment and then laughed. Neji smirked at Naruto to show he was joking and the blonde released the breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding. Sakura and Ino began giggling with each other and all six of them turned and followed Kurenai back into the building, Neji feeling lighter than usual.

* * *

**Heh! Naruto and friends decide to take things into their own hands!! How will that turn out?? **

**Oh no!! Sasuke has a boyfriend!! Bet cha can't guess who it is!! Take a guess and u'll find out in the next chptr if ur right or wrong!! **

**Wow, things are getting complicated for poor Neji and he doesn't even realize it!! What will happen?? Review please!! (I said please again!) **


	15. Enter New Kid

P.E. was very irritating, at least for Neji. The tennis unit had been finished, much to Neji's disappointment, and they now began football. That was not going to work well for the Hyuuga because of all the _physical contact._ Neji fervently hoped he was going to be on Sasuke's team. Even more than that he hoped they would play tag football. But, knowing Ibiki as he did, Neji knew that all rules in a normal game would apply.

Thankfully, Neji was on Sasuke's team, but, not so thankfully, he was on the opposing team of both Naruto and Kiba. And even worse, Kiba was the one marking him. Damn. Kiba was in a hyper mood that day, as well.

As expected, Neji did not take easily to the game of football. He received the ball with next to no idea what to do. Seeing Kiba run full on at him, the Hyuuga had sidestepped at the last second, and tripped the overly excited brunette boy. He had then passed the ball to another of his players as the Inuzuka tackled him angrily, despite the fact that he did not have the ball. Kiba had then proceeded to jerk Neji to his feet, mumbling frustrated comments to himself. Neji was eventually completely ignored by all of his teammates, which he was just fine with, and didn't receive or give any passes at all. Oh, sure Neji would probably fail P.E. this term. But that was better than getting tackled by someone he swore was half canine.

Lunch came and Neji ate alone with Sasuke again. During lunch, never mind how it happened, Neji found himself on all fours inches from Sasuke, who was leaning back on his elbows, and the both of them were glaring fiercely at Naruto and Lee, who were whistling nonchalantly a few feet away.

Orchestra found Hayashi explaining that their first concert would be in December and that they were all getting very good and that they would be practicing very hard from now on. She had also told Neji and Sasuke that they would be having a practice on stage with the chorus singers in exactly two weeks from that day, which happened to be Tuesday. Neji was looking forward to this very much and had, after orchestra, suggested that he and Sasuke work extra hard on the piece. Sasuke had, of course, agreed and the two headed to Neji's house to practice, as was their routine.

However, the next week found something very surprising and unexpected happening at Konoha. There was a new student. And not just any new student. A student named Sai. A student who just happened to be Sasuke's boyfriend.

It was Monday, the start of a new week, and Sasuke and Neji were walking to school as they always did, Hinata right by Neji's side, and a tall boy, taller than Sasuke had approached them, grabbed the Uchiha around the waist and had began kissing him passionately. Neji blinked. What the hell? Hinata watched, too surprised to even start blushing and everything seemed to stop for a moment. Even Naruto, who had been going over to greet his friends, had come to an abrupt halt at seeing this event take place. When the boy finally pulled away, he smirked at the surprised face of the raven haired boy before him.

"Nice to see you too, Sasuke," he sniggered. A smirk soon replaced Sasuke's surprised expression and he placed his hands on his hips.

"A little warning next time would be appreciated," he said. The boy laughed.

"I can't help it," he said. "You're so damn sexy. You just draw me in." Sasuke chuckled. Neji raised his eyebrow and waited patiently for Sasuke to remember him and Hinata. The girl looked positively mortified. When Sasuke finally noticed them, he drew an arm around Neji's and pulled him forward.

"This is Hyuuga Neji," he said. "And his cousin, Hyuuga Hinata. Hyuugas, this is Sai." Sai looked Neji up and down and the Hyuuga boy felt uncomfortable. He nodded to Sai politely.

"Hyuuga Neji, huh?" Sai said. "Are you new here?" Neji nodded.

"Hai, I just moved here this year," he said. Sai nodded. He turned to Hinata.

"What about you?" he asked. "Are you new?" Hinata shook her head and Neji moved protectively beside her.

"I moved here to live with Hinata-sama and my uncle," he said. Hinata reddened at the sudden defensive attitude her cousin was adopting. She wanted nothing more than to get out of the awkward situation, and Neji, sensing this, said, "And I don't want her to be late for class, so if you'll excuse her, I think she should be going. Hinata-sama, I think I see Naruto-san. Why don't you go to class with him?" Hinata gave Neji a grateful nod and quickly ran off with the blonde into the school, the Uzumaki immediately hounding her with questions. Neji turned back to Sai and saw that he had snaked his arm around Sasuke's waist, pulling him closer. Either he was really intimate or just felt threatened with Neji around. Neji raised an eyebrow to that.

"Well, Sai," he said, able to put two and two together to see that this boy was Sasuke's boyfriend. "Uchiha has told me so much about you. But, I'm afraid a lot of that has slipped my mind. Tell me, what are your hobbies?" Sasuke's head snapped over to Neji, but the Hyuuga ignored it, his eyes still on Sai and painfully emotionless. Sai looked at him.

"Well," he started. "I enjoy art a lot." Neji raised his eyebrows in interest; or pretend interest, Sasuke couldn't really tell.

"What a coincidence," he said. "Art is one of my favorite pastimes as well. What medium do you prefer to use?" Sai thought for a moment.

"Charcoal," he replied. "You?"

"Pastels."

"Cool." Sai turned back to Sasuke, nuzzling the Uchiha's neck and cooing softly in his ear. Neji watched rather disgustedly. He turned away, not wishing to witness the revolting sight anymore. Revolting only because it was Sai that Sasuke was allowing to touch him so. Neji sighed and waited for them to finish. A lesser man would've walked pointedly away, hoping that the object of his feelings would follow him. But Neji was not a lesser man, and he did not wish to force Sasuke to choose between him and Sai. So he waited. He waited until they finished and then followed them into the school, making himself discreet so that they could catch up. Because, presumably they had not seen each other for a long while.

In English class, Naruto approached Neji and looked at him timidly.

"Neji, are you okay?" he asked. Neji looked at him.

"Yes, Naruto-san," he replied. "Why wouldn't I be?" Naruto indicated to Sai, who was talking with a blushing brunette girl next to him. Neji stiffened, though only slightly.

"Naruto, I appreciate your concern," Neji said. "But I do not have any feelings of jealousy, dislike or any other emotion in relation to them for or directed towards Sai." Naruto put a hand on Neji's shoulder and the Hyuuga knew immediately that the blonde knew. He knew everything. How Neji felt towards Sasuke, and how Neji felt towards Sai. He sighed.

"Naruto-san," he said quietly. "Please don't tell Sasuke." Naruto nodded and walked back to his seat, turning to talk to a dejected Sakura and a depressed looking Ino. They both cast nervous and concerned glances towards the Hyuuga.

In second period, Neji noticed that, to his immense relief, Sai was not there. So he wasn't in any of the Hyuuga's classes. Except maybe the freshmen ones. Neji sighed and closed his eyes as Lee turned to speak quietly to him.

"Neji-chan," he said. "I heard from Naruto-chan what's going on." Neji turned and smiled weakly at Lee.

"Well, Lee-san," he said. "If you're asking me if it's true, yes it is." Lee nodded and sighed.

"Well, I can't offer you anything that might make you feel better, but I extend my hand in friendship and welcome you to take it any time you feel like talking to someone," he said sincerely, extending his hand. Neji couldn't help his smile from widening slightly as he reached his own hand out to take Lee's.

"Arigato, Lee-san," he said. Lee nodded, beaming and giving Neji a thumbs-up before turning to face the front.

After history class was over, Sasuke went over to Neji and said, "Ready for math?" Neji nodded and stood up, and the two headed for the door, but just as they were about to exit the room, they were met head on by Sai. The ebon haired boy pecked Sasuke quickly on the lips and then inserted himself between the Uchiha and the Hyuuga. Neji looked cynical at this but moved quickly out of the way to let other people out of the room. He then watched as Sai tried to lead Sasuke away, but as the latter removed his boyfriend's arm and went to walk by Neji. It was then that Neji had seen a flash of irritancy cross Sai's face but it disappeared quickly, and the boy shrugged, going to walk on one side of Sasuke while Neji walked on the other. The Hyuuga turned and saw Lee talking to Tenten behind him. Her face went from passive to surprise to concern. Neji sighed. This was going to be all around the school by the end of lunch.

He was wrong. Naruto and the others had no intention of telling anyone they didn't know. They understood what was going on and that Neji didn't need and couldn't take it being gossiped about in the hallways as he passed.

So far, the day was going pretty badly. Math and science class were better, as neither of them were freshmen classes, but art was just plain annoying.

As it turned out, Sai was a good artist. A very good artist. A phenomenal artist, actually. He completely upstaged Neji, though that wasn't the word the Hyuuga would use, since he hadn't believed there was a contest going on, as Sai clearly did. The boy insisted that he and Sasuke be paired together and Neji had to go into a group of three with Naruto and Kiba. They were still doing wildlife sketches and Neji tried at all costs to stay away form Sai, but Sasuke wanted to keep the Hyuuga within his sight, and Sai wanted to keep Sasuke within an arm's distance of himself. Overly possessive much? Yeah. Completely. Neji found himself growing quite annoyed with Sai's frequent glares and soon he had to close his sketchbook, despite being unfinished, and had headed back to the entrance of the forest to wait for everyone else to finish.

And, of course, since Neji was so favored by Lady Luck, Sai was in his P.E. class. Sai, though he had made a lousy first impression on Neji, did indeed look very good in the tight gym clothes. Neji didn't blame Sasuke for all out ogling him. They were still playing football, and Neji found that he hated this class just as much as, if not more than any other. He had been tackled twice only seconds after he had thrown the ball away, both times by someone bigger and heavier than him, the second time, twisting his ankle, unable to get up. Sasuke, immediately, had moved to help him and forced the Hyuuga to lean on him, bringing the boy's arm around his shoulder. Neji had caught a glimpse of Sai's rather irritated face and felt a strange feeling of triumph surge through him, to be quickly replaced by pain as he put weight on his injured ankle.

Neji was incredibly thankful that Sai didn't play a string instrument. Orchestra, he had always believed since joining, was his safe haven. It was the one thing that always lifted his spirits after a particularly bad day, and this was a particularly bad day.

"Alright, everyone," Hayashi said. "Let's begin." She raised her arms and Neji began. As soon as he started playing, he felt everything; every angry or envious emotion within him; flow away, leaving his mind and fading from existence as the notes he played slowly diminished over time. His eyes closed lightly and he became unaware of anything else, except the sound of the surrounding orchestra. He was unaware of the school around him; unaware of the people around him; unaware of Sasuke, looking at him with a slight longing in his eyes. The brunette Hyuuga continued to play, flowing with the music, completely free, until he heard the sound about him cease, and then he followed suit. His eyes opened and he saw Hayashi, smiling brightly, and heard as she bid them all a good afternoon. Neji stood and walked over to the door, waiting for Sasuke, who hastily put his violin away and hurried over to him. The raven haired Uchiha looked slightly apologetic.

"Ready to go?" Neji asked. Sasuke didn't answer. He looked away, slightly embarrassed, and, at that moment, Sai approached him and hooked an arm around Sasuke's shoulder. Neji appeared passive as always, but inside, he felt awful. Sai looked to Neji, a smug look adorning his features.

"Hyuuga-san, you wouldn't mind if Sasuke spent the afternoon with me, now would you?" he asked, a mocking tone to his voice. Neji raised his brow.

"Not at all," he said. Turning to Sasuke, he said, "I'll see you tomorrow." He turned and walked composedly away, and for a moment, it looked as though Sasuke was about to follow him, until Sai captured his lips in a demanding kiss.

Neji ignored the make-out fest behind him and quickly found Hinata.

"Hinata-sama," he said trying to control his voice. "Will you walk home with me today?" Hinata looked slightly surprised but nodded quickly.

"Is there something wrong, Nii-san?" she asked. Neji nodded.

"But, I'll tell you later," he promised. Hinata nodded and took his hand, leading him into the forest. They walked the long forest path to Hiashi's house. Neji felt warm in Hinata's presence, as he always did, and knew that she felt equally warm in his. They walked in silence, Hinata's concern for her cousin building with every step. What had happened that made him this way? Of course she knew that hanging out with his best friend's boyfriend all day was going to make Neji feel awkward, but this was more than awkward. Neji was giving off a hurt vibe. And that made her worry.

When they reached the house, Hinata turned to her cousin and asked, "Will you tell me what happened today?" Neji just stared blankly forward and walked into the house.

"Later," he said, his voice hollow. Hinata followed Neji into the family room, where the boy sat down at the piano. Hinata watched from the doorway as Neji began to play. He played the same song he always played, but Hinata was only saddened when she listened to it. She wanted to cover her ears to block it out, but she couldn't. She couldn't stop listening as Neji played the song that now seemed so pained; she couldn't stop watching as Neji flowed sadly with the soft music; she couldn't stop a tear from coming as she watched Neji play the piano, for the first time in a long time, without any accompaniment.

* * *

**Oh. My. Gawd. Sai is a bastard. And Sasuke is STILL with him! What the hell is wrong with our little Uchiha!!**

**Poor Neji!! Sai is being a bastard to him and Sasuke's not DOING anything about it!! **

**Please tell me waht u all think!! To adjust, or not adjust?? THAT is the question!! Review! **


	16. Teach Me

Hinata waited for Neji to finish and then approached him. She put her hand hesitantly on his shoulder.

"N-nii-san?" she asked timidly. Neji just looked forward and released a sigh.

"I've had so many chances," he said. "But, thanks to my cowardice, I took none of them. And now, it's too late." Hinata blinked and looked taken aback. Neji had it worse than she thought.

Over the course of the next few days Neji did his best to deal with Sai. But it was hard. Hell, was it hard. Sai was demanding more of Sasuke's time and the Uchiha was spending less time after school with Neji. Soon the Hyuuga was walking home with Hinata and Naruto by his side. The blonde was actually doing a very good job of getting Neji's mind off of Sai and Sasuke. Subconsciously, the Uzumaki was also succeeding in making one Uchiha very jealous. Sasuke, who had gotten used to the place of honor by Neji's side, was unaccustomed to having that spot that he considered his own taken by someone else.

Overall, the mood of Konoha High seemed to worsen. Neji was still hanging out with Sasuke, not wishing to make it seem to the Uchiha that he disliked his boyfriend. Far be it for him to sacrifice his time with Sasuke because of someone who claimed to have Sasuke's best interests at heart. Sasuke, being Neji's best friend, noticed a difference in his friend's attitude and knew it had something to do with Sai. He just didn't associate it with jealousy. After all, how could Neji like him? The one time he and Sasuke had done anything remotely intimate Neji had denied that it affected him in any way. That had shut Sasuke up. Now, the Uchiha had resigned himself to the fact that the Hyuuga would never return his feelings.

As the end of Sai's first week neared, Sasuke began to slowly break away from him. On Friday, he managed to leave with Neji before his possessive boyfriend could stop him. Sasuke, finally having been able to walk freely with his friend, had walked incredibly close to Neji, showing that the spot next to the Hyuuga belonged to him. The Uchiha carried his violin and was walking with a slightly guilty air. When they arrived at Hiashi's house, Sasuke stopped Neji.

"Hyuuga," he said awkwardly. "I'm sorry that Sai has been-"

"Don't apologize, Uchiha," Neji said firmly. "He's only been here for a few days. I understand and support your wanting to spend a lot of time with him." He turned and headed into the house, hardly missing Sasuke's next comment.

"But he's taking away all the time I spend with you."

The two went into the family room and Neji sat down at the piano. Sasuke took out his violin and looked hesitantly at Neji. When the other returned his gaze, he said, "Sai doesn't exist. Don't act like he does. Now, it's only you and I." Neji's eyes flashed a quick surprise before he nodded.

"Alright," he agreed. "Are you ready?" Sasuke nodded and smiled at Neji.

"I always am," he said. Neji quickly turned back to his music to hide his pink face. And they began.

And it felt as it always did. It was only Neji and Sasuke. They were comfortable with each other, but even more than that, their feelings for the other now were very strong. The only problem was that both were afraid to tell the other. So, they contented themselves with playing together, letting their beautiful music calm their raging emotions.

It was after they finished that Neji voiced something that had been on his mind for a while.

"How do you learn to play the violin?" he asked. "Is it hard?" Sasuke turned to face him and smiled.

"It's not that hard at all," he said. "Do you want me to teach you?" Neji kept yet another cherry blush at bay and nodded. He stood up and walked over to Sasuke. The Uchiha handed Neji the violin. The brunette boy reached out and carefully took it from him, holding it as though it were glass. Sasuke laughed at his unsure attitude.

"Here," he said, approaching the confused Hyuuga. He took the bow from him and placed it on the piano stool. He stood in front of Neji and lifted the violin to the boy's chin. Slowly, and slightly hesitantly, Sasuke reached out to Neji's face and lifted the brunette Hyuuga's chin up and fitted the violin underneath. He then took Neji's fingers and positioned them on the violin neck, gently pushing Neji's wrist outward so it took on the same rounded form as Sasuke's wrist always did. Once that was done he retrieved the bow from the piano stool and handed it to Neji. Sasuke walked behind Neji and placed a hand gently on Neji's left elbow, pushing it lightly so it was under the center of the violin. He pushed against the small of Neji's back, and the latter straightened his posture slightly. The Uchiha fitted his right hand over Neji's and guided it. The bow slid softly over the violin and a single quiet note was heard. Neji opened his mouth in a slight gasp of awe. Sasuke smiled behind him.

"You're a natural," he whispered, the tickling of his breath on ivory skin causing Neji to shudder. He guided Neji's hand again, this time conjuring more notes. Neji felt his mouth form a small smile and he chuckled to himself.

"What do you know," he breathed. "I'm a violinist." Sasuke walked in front of him and grinned.

"Now you need to teach me to play the piano," he insisted. Neji smirked and handed the Uchiha the small instrument. Sasuke placed it carefully down and followed Neji to the piano. Neji beckoned for Sasuke to sit and he complied. He placed his hands randomly on the piano and asked, "Now what?" Neji shook his head. He walked behind Sasuke and leaned over, his head just above the Uchiha's shoulder. He reached out and grasped Sasuke's hands, positioning the pale fingers on the keys.

"You, of course, know treble clef, correct?" he asked. Sasuke nodded. Neji continued.

"Well, the piano works in the same way," he said. "This is middle C." He placed his index finger on a white key right in front of a black one. Sasuke nodded, and he placed his hand softly over Neji's.

"Middle C," he repeated. Neji fought the urge to jerk his hand out from under Sasuke's.

"And from there you can figure out where the rest of the notes are," he said. "Once you reach G you start over at A." Sasuke nodded. His eyes scanned over the keys and when he reached one he pointed.

"Alright," he said. "So that's G and the note right after it is A, right?" Neji nodded.

"And there are hundreds of different chords you can play," he said. He positioned Sasuke's fingers on several different keys and applied a small amount of pressure. A soft but polyphonic sound came from the piano.

"That's an F chord," he said. "When you combine different chords, you get different sounds." He then proceeded to play a small flourishing piece. Sasuke watched as Neji's fingers danced over the keys, creating graceful sounds that filled the room. When he stopped Sasuke shook his head in wonder.

"It's amazing how you can still play with me in the way," he remarked. Neji sighed and let his fingers rest on Sasuke's.

"You're not in the way," he said, unable to stop himself. Sasuke turned to look at Neji. Neji held his gaze. For a moment they were lost to each other and it was like a dream. Neji began to lean down and Sasuke moved up, both thinking only of the other.

But it wasn't to be. At that moment the door opened and Neji and Sasuke snapped back to reality. Neji stepped away from Sasuke and Sasuke whipped around to face the piano. Both hid a deep red flush that found its way to their faces. Neji tried to slow his rapidly beating heart as Sasuke attempted to even out his breathing.

Unfortunately, the one who had interrupted them was the last person either of them wanted to see. Into the family room walked Sai, looking quite angry and a little red. Hinata followed, a desperate expression on her face.

"I-I'm sorry, Nii-san," she said. "He insisted on seeing Sasuke-san!" Sai looked at Sasuke, sitting at the piano, and then to Neji, standing a few feet away. He raised his eyebrow.

"You know, Sasuke," he said, his voice quivering with irritation. "You could've just told me you were going here." Sasuke rolled his eyes and stood up.

"Well, I didn't think you would barge into my friend's uncle's house and demand to see me," he retorted. Sai rolled his eyes.

"She let me in," he said through gritted teeth, grabbing Hinata's arm and dragging her forward. Neji tensed and started towards them.

"Take your hands off my cousin," he said dangerously, his opal eyes now becoming a threatening flashing gray. Sai barely concealed a smirk and removed his hands from Hinata, who quickly hurried to Neji. The elder Hyuuga put his arm protectively around her and stepped in front of her. Sasuke was now in front of the piano stool and moving towards Neji.

"Sai, I thought you told me you were better at controlling your temper," the Uchiha remarked bitterly. Sai looked at him.

"I am," he said. "Before I probably would've hit someone by now, but I'm good at resisting that urge now." His eyes fell on Neji and the Hyuuga narrowed his eyes as Sasuke stepped in front of him.

"I think you should leave," Neji said coldly. Sai sniggered.

"Fine," he said. "But Sasuke comes with me." Neji looked to Sasuke and the Uchiha saw that the brunette boy was prepared to defend him, but he shook his head.

"Fine," Sasuke said. He turned back to Neji and said, "I'll see you later." Neji nodded and Sasuke turned and followed Sai out of the house. Neji heard the door close and he turned to Hinata.

"Are you alright, Hinata-sama?" he asked. Hinata nodded and brought her arms up around her cousin in a comforting gesture.

"Of course I am, Neji-nii-san!" she insisted. "But are you alright?" Neji sighed.

"I'm not sure," he said. Hinata looked up at him.

"Is there anything I can do?" she asked. Neji shook his head.

"At the moment, no," he replied. "I just need some time." Hinata nodded and stepped away from Neji. She gave him a quick wave and left the room, her eyes still worried and nervous. Neji sighed and sat back down at the piano. Except now he didn't have even the willpower to play. He had almost kissed Sasuke! And Sasuke hadn't resisted; just the opposite, actually. Did that mean that Sasuke liked him? Did that mean that Neji had a chance? The Hyuuga sighed and he placed his head in his hands, trying to prevent the large headache that now threatened.

_No._ Neji thought quickly. _I don't have a chance. Sai's probably not going to let me anywhere near Sasuke, and I don't want to deal with him._ Neji sighed as his thoughts came to the angry black haired boy who had snapped at him only a few minutes ago.

Before Neji knew what was happening, his eyes moistened, and he felt a few tears fall from his eyes. Only five or six this time. Neji wasn't one to lose control, but now he sobbed silently, as his chance for something real slipped slowly through his fingers. He didn't know why he had opened up to anyone in the first place. His gut had told him more than once that it would just end in hurt. And that's what was happening. _Damn._ Neji thought bitterly. _Damn me. Damn me…_

* * *

**...Whoooaa. I am cruel. Poor Neji!! And Sasuke!! He's totally whipped! When am I gonna make him dump that Sai bastard?? **

**And I apologize if my description of piano chords sucked. I'm only just starting to play and still know almost NOTHING about it. I'm getting better, though!! :) Don't judge me!! **

**Please review and tell me what I should change and what u liked!! Confessions are coming soon people!! Bear with me!**


	17. Sai's Attack

Slowly, the weather changed and a chill soon filled the air, signaling the beginning of the autumnal season. Slowly, people began to dress warmer. Slowly, shorts and t-shirts were replaced with pants and long sleeve shirts. And slowly, the leaves on the trees began to change from their pure deep green to fiery red and soft subtle orange. Neji had always loved autumn. It had been his favorite season and still was. However, this year he was preoccupied.

Sai still gave him a hard time. But Sasuke was more assertive and didn't hesitate to tell Sai to shut the hell up whenever something cruel or snide escaped him. Neji was able to deal with this much better now because the prospect of his first rehearsal on the stage lifted his spirits. Neji was looking forward to seeing how he would be performing when the concert came and it showed. It showed in his behavior, in his actions, in how he regarded others. It made him happy. And his being happy, in turn lifted Sasuke's spirits as well.

And when Tuesday rolled around, Neji had a hard time containing his eager energy. Every subject passed slowly and when lunch came around, Neji felt as though he might just die.

"You're really excited about this," Sasuke remarked with a grin. Neji smirked.

"It's nice to see you have your wits about you, Uchiha," he shot. Sasuke laughed.

"Yeah, well, no need to get sarcastic."

"No need to state the obvious."

"Touché."

"Thank you." Neji turned to Sasuke.

"Is all of my energy annoying you?" he asked with a laughing tone. Sasuke shook his head.

"No," he replied. "It's actually oddly refreshing to see you so chipper." Neji chuckled.

"I'll take that as a compliment," he said. Sasuke smiled.

"Good. I'd be offended if you took it as anything else."

In orchestra, Hayashi explained to Neji and Sasuke that they would be staying after school to rehearse with the selected chorus duo, Hirose Kayoko and Utsugi Yuji. Neji was becoming very eager at that point. There was only one more class before he would be practicing on the stage.

When orchestra ended, Sasuke and Neji had followed Hayashi through the school to the auditorium. Neji, as he entered noticed something that made him more excited than he had ever been in long time; a grand piano sitting peacefully on the stage. The Hyuuga turned to Hayashi.

"I'm going to be playing that?" he asked incredulously. Hayashi smiled and nodded.

"Hai, Neji-san," she replied. "You will be playing that grand piano for the concert. I thought you should get the hang of playing it a little before so, I set it up for just the occasion." Neji nodded and bowed.

"Arigato, Hayashi-sensei," he said. "May I?" Hayashi nodded.

"Of course, Neji-san!" she gushed. Neji turned and hurried onto the stage, his eyes wide and filled with awe as they drank in the sight of the beautiful instrument. Sasuke followed him. He had never seen the Hyuuga so excited.

"Uchiha, get over here!" Neji called. Sasuke complied. As he neared the piano he saw that it was in very good condition. The black surface was a beautiful shining color and it stood proudly on three sturdy and elegantly carved legs. It looked much more intimidating than an upright piano but also much more breathtaking. Sasuke could see why Neji loved it so much. He stopped beside Neji and the brunette boy spoke in wonder without facing him.

"This is magnificent," he breathed. Sasuke nodded.

"Yes it is," he agreed. "I don't think I've ever seen anyone so excited about a grand piano before." Neji chuckled.

"Well, newsflash, I'm a pianist," he said. "I'm supposed to get worked up over this remember?" Sasuke laughed.

"Right, of course," he said mockingly. Neji shook his head, grinning and resumed his appraising.

"This is satin wood," he remarked. "With an excellent black finish. It's beautiful." Sasuke looked at him and thought.

"Tell me, Hyuuga," he said. "If you had a grand piano-"

"My life would be perfect," Neji finished. Sasuke's brow rose. He had expected Neji to immediately correct himself and say something like, "Or as close to perfect as it could get." But the brunette boy didn't. He just let the statement hang there. Sasuke took advantage of it.

"Well then, that'll go on my list of to-do's," he said. Neji looked at him.

"What will?" he asked. Sasuke grinned at him.

"I've got to get you a grand piano," he said. Neji flushed.

"What!?"

"I've got to get you a grand piano."

"But they're so expensive!"

"You're worth it."

"…"

"That's what I thought." Neji made a small "Hmph" noise and turned away.

"Fine, then, feel free to waste your money on me," he said. Sasuke shrugged.

"I won't be wasting it," he said simply.

"Hn."

A few minutes later, a boy and a girl walked into the auditorium and headed in the direction of the stage. As they approached Neji and Sasuke, the girl smiled.

"Konnichiwa," she said brightly. "I'm Hirose Kayoko. Nice to meet you." The boy stopped next to her.

"I'm Utsugi Yuji," he said. Neji nodded.

"I'm Hyuuga Neji," he said.

"Uchiha Sasuke," Sasuke spoke. Kayoko blushed slightly. She looked very pretty, Neji noted. Her curly black hair was shoulder length and her large green eyes were enough to draw anyone in. She was very slender and tall, standing only slightly shorter than Neji. The boy, Yuji had a very athletic build and very sharp black eyes. His hair was wavy and he was blonde. His jaw was strong and he was the classic example of a "pretty boy." Though Neji didn't think that he would take very well to being called this.

"Hyuuga Neji?" Yuji inquired, his eyes on the Hyuuga. "You know Takeda Soichiro?" Neji nodded. Was this kid Soichiro's boyfriend.

"I heard about what happened to him in the woods," he said. "Thanks for helping him. I know there was a lot of risk involved." Neji nodded.

"You're welcome," he said, choosing his words carefully. "Are you the one Takeda-san is dating?" Yuji nodded.

"Yeah," he replied.

"Is he doing alright?" Neji asked sincerely. Yuji, sensing his sincerity, smiled and nodded.

"Yeah, he's doing fine," he said. "I'll tell him you said hi." Neji nodded, a small smile forming on his face. Yuji's eyes darted between Neji and Sasuke.

"Are you two dating?" he asked.

"No," Neji replied. _I wish._ They both thought. Yuji nodded.

"Gomen," he said. Neji waved it away and Hayashi called for them all to get ready to begin. Neji quickly and deftly readied the grand piano and then sat carefully and gracefully down on the stool. His fingers rested on the shining keys, his eyes sparkling with anticipation. Sasuke got his violin ready and stood on the side of the stage opposite Neji. Kayoko and Yuji stood between them. Hayashi stood before them all and gave them a quick count-off. They began. Hayashi immediately stepped to the side and watched carefully, her face slowly becoming a smile. They sounded excellent together. Sasuke and Neji knew their parts perfectly and performed them exceedingly well. Kayoko and Yuji's singing was above standards as well.

Neji was surprised at how good they sounded. It was as if the song was whole now that they had the vocal parts with them. Neji had to admit that the vocalists were pretty damn good. Kayoko's voice was able to reach the high notes without losing the full quality that was desired for this part. Yuji's voice was able to reach the relatively lower notes without becoming gravelly and without wavering. And the Hyuuga also knew that he and Sasuke sounded excellent as well. He quickly flashed a look of encouragement to the Uchiha, and saw the raven haired boy's relaxed features and gracefully ebbing movements. His breath hitched slightly and he turned back to the piano, almost missing a beat, but recovering excellently. The Hyuuga focused his attentions instead, on the grand piano from which the dulcet noise was coming. It sounded much better than the upright piano he played at his uncle's house and during orchestra. The pedals worked much more smoothly than those of the other pianos, and the sound was so much more maneuverable. Neji's breath caught in his throat with every soft delicate note that emerged from the piano. As was always the case, Neji slowly became unaware of anything outside of the music and he lost himself to the dips and sways of the notes. Sasuke, as well, lost himself to the mixing mingling sound and his eyes were soon closed lightly.

The music ended and both boys snapped back to reality, and the first thing that their eyes sought was the other. Sasuke turned his head rapidly, his eyes swiveling to Neji, as though afraid that the Hyuuga had disappeared during the period in which his eyes were closed. Neji's head snapped to Sasuke and a smile found his lips as his eyes rested on the relaxed figure. Hayashi stepped forward, beaming.

"That was excellent!" she praised. "But there are some things we need to fix. First of all, Kayoko…" She then proceeded to reveal the problems and attempt to fix them. At the end of the after school period she clasped her hands together and said cheerily, "Well, that was very productive, but if you can all stay after school for the next few days, that would be much appreciated." Kayoko and Yuji agreed and Neji and Sasuke did as well, neither wanting to admit it, but both a little relieved that they wouldn't have to deal with Sai directly after school. They left the auditorium, Neji saying goodbye to Yuji, and headed out of the school, Sasuke silently resolving to walk Neji home.

They were met, however, by none other than the much missed Sai, who, upon seeing Sasuke, pulled the boy into a searing kiss. Sai's eyes closed, but Sasuke's were on Neji, who had turned stiffly away. The Uchiha pulled back and Sai blinked, but recovered, putting his arm around Sasuke and pulling him in.

"Hey, Sasuke, I've got tickets to the basketball game tonight, and you're coming. I insist. You don't mind, do ya, Hyuuga?" he said slightly cruelly. Neji looked as though he wanted nothing more than to run off. But he maintained composure in his voice.

"Not at all," he said. "See you tomorrow, Uchiha." He turned and headed off into Konoha Forest, this time with no Hinata to walk comfortingly beside him. Sasuke watched him remorsefully and started to follow him but Sai steered him in the other direction.

Neji continued to deal with the pain of seeing Sasuke with someone else, and the weather changed further. The leaves were now almost all off the trees and December had begun. The orchestral concert was getting closer. Neji and Sasuke stayed after school everyday, but one day, Sai had decided to come and watch them, obviously only for the purpose of waiting for Sasuke. He had requested politely to Hayashi that he be allowed to stay and watch. She, of course had been so excited that someone had come to watch that she had agreed without a second thought. Neji's stomach flipped when he saw the tall smug boy walk into the auditorium and choose a seat in the front row. Neji also saw Sasuke tense slightly and wished he could just get up and shout at Sai to get the hell out of there.

He sighed. Damn. At least they still had orchestra. Well, Hayashi pointed out that they had a one-person-audience and that they should treat it like a full house. Neji fought hard not to sigh. Just what he needed. Encouragement to notice Sai.

They began and Neji could see that Sai was struggling to keep his face straight. Clearly, he was one of the people who would make fun of this kind of music. Neji felt smaller. Being judged was one thing he recently learned he really hated. He was thankful when the after school period finished and he had tried to bolt, but Sasuke had caught him and held him back. Sai had approached them with a grin.

"Sasuke, I didn't know you played the violin this well," he remarked. "Hyuuga, I heard a few mistakes coming from the piano, though. Maybe you should work on that some more." Neji raised his eyebrow and nodded.

"I'll keep that in mind," he said. Sasuke closed his eyes and his fists clenched. Without a word to Sai, he grabbed Neji's hand and led him out of the auditorium, fuming. Sai had tried to stop him, but Sasuke's hand, which was still clenched, had connected with the boy's face and the Uchiha had continued leading Neji out of the school. Neji, unable to stop himself, had looked to Sai's face. It was angry and his hand was on his cheek where Sasuke had punched him. His eyes were almost bulging out of his head, and it was clear to Neji that he was the one whom Sai would blame for the incident. He quickly turned back around and hurried to Sasuke's side, still sensing the seething anger emitting from the Uchiha.

"Bastard," Sasuke growled, still clutching the Hyuuga's hand. Neji felt his eyebrows rise as the raven haired boy muttered to himself. With much effort, he wriggled his hand out of Sasuke's grip and placed it on the Uchiha's shoulder, stopping him.

"Are you alright, Uchiha?" Neji asked, his brow now furrowing slightly with worry. Sasuke tried to control his breathing, his eyes on the ground.

"Hell no," he said. There wasn't any point in lying. "That's all the bullshit I'm going to take from him. I'm not going to brook anymore insults to you." Neji felt a rush of gratitude towards Sasuke, but still felt slightly guilty about the situation.

"Uchiha," he started. "It's partly my fault. He just thinks that I'm demanding too much of your time. And he just wants—"

"No!" Sasuke whipped around to face him, and the Hyuuga started. "A boyfriend or girlfriend is someone you can stand to be around for at least ten minutes, and I can't hang around him for one. And don't think I haven't seen the way you walk off when he insults you. And don't think I don't care. I can't stand it when he says those kinds of things. It's over and I'm breaking it off with him." Neji took an involuntary step backward and nodded.

"Alright," he said. "Whatever you feel you need to do." Sasuke let out a long breath to show he had calmed.

"I'll see you tomorrow," he said.

"Alright." Neji turned and walked into the forest. Sasuke watched him for a moment, before turning and heading quickly in the other direction, aware of Sai trying to catch up with him.

Sasuke arrived at his brother's apartment and burst through the door. He threw his backpack down and violently sat down. Itachi, sitting on the couch watching TV, turned to him.

"Well, hello, sunshine," he said. "Lovely day at school?" Sasuke glared at the table.

"Shut up, Itachi!" he growled. "Sai's done." He heard the TV turn off and a second later Itachi was sitting across from him.

"So, you've finally come across a brain, huh?" he teased. Sasuke smirked.

"Yeah," he said. "And it's a pretty damn good one too. I'm going to tell Neji." Itachi grinned.

"About damn time," he said. "When?" Sasuke shrugged.

"After Sai's long gone," he replied.

"_Long_ gone?"

"He's a clingy bastard who was only ever with me for the sex and I don't think he's willing to give it up that easily."

"Oh yeah. Well, I guess that means I'll have to help you, huh?"

"Maybe if worse comes to worse."

"And what would the worse case scenario be?"

"Don't know. You'll know it when you see it, though."

"Ah."

Neji arrived home and was greeted immediately by Hinata.

"Nii-san!" she said upon his entrance. "How was your day?" Neji smiled.

"Hinata-sama, are you worried about me?" he asked. Hinata reddened then nodded.

"Well, I guess I am," she admitted, turning slightly sheepish. Neji chuckled.

"Well, don't worry, things are starting to look up for me," he said softly, putting an arm around his cousin. "I don't know if he'll hold true to it, but Sasuke said he was going to break it off with Sai."

"That's great, Nii-san!" Hinata said, smiling up at Neji. The elder Hyuuga nodded and Hinata saw a glimmer of hope in his hurt-stained eyes. She loved to see him so hopeful. She only hoped that he wasn't getting his hopes up. He'd suffered much too much hurt for someone so young.

"Neji-nii-san, do you want to go get an ice cream with me?" the ebon haired Hyuuga asked timidly. Neji looked at her and opened his mouth to refuse, prepared to give the excuse that he had homework, but stopped. He really did want to go get an ice cream with Hinata, and he could always finish his homework later.

"I'd like that, Hinata-sama," he said. Hinata's face lit up and she quickly went to find Hiashi to tell him where they were going. Neji thought. He thought that maybe things were looking up for him. Maybe he would be able to have fun on a whim, as Hinata and her friends – now his as well – were able to. That thought alone made him smile softly to himself.

"Ready to go, Nii-san?" Hinata asked, sticking some money into her pocket. Neji nodded, and stopped.

"Wait, I need to go get some money," he said. He started to pass Hinata but she stopped him.

"Otou-san told me if you tried to get your money I was to stop you," she said, the hint of a sly grin on her face. "He insists that it's his treat." Neji blinked but grinned and shook his head.

"Alright, Hinata-sama," he said. "You win. Let's go." Hinata nodded and took his hand, leading him out of the house. The two spent a fun-filled day eating ice cream and talking and when the sun began to set, they headed in the direction of home. And it was on their way back that something went wrong.

"Nii-san, are you ever going to tell Sasuke-san how you feel?" Hinata asked timidly, gripping her milkshake rather tight. Neji slowly lowered his smoothie and thought.

"Perhaps," he said slowly. "If I ever get up the goddamn courage." Hinata smiled.

"I'll help you, Nii-san," she said, her voice stronger than normal. Neji laughed softly.

"Arigato, Hinata-sama," he said. "But I don't think it'll be that easy. For either of us." Hinata opened her mouth to say something, but Neji suddenly brought a hand to her mouth and pushed her into the trees. He signaled for her to be quiet and turned to face away from her.

"Who's there?" he asked, his voice projecting. Hinata clapped a hand over her mouth to keep herself from making a noise as she saw Sai emerge from the forest. He smirked at Neji.

"Smart," he said. "I followed you to give you what I owe you from before." Neji raised his brow.

"What do you mean?" he asked. Sai advanced on the Hyuuga.

"You're messing with Sasuke's head," he sneered. "And if you weren't there Sasuke wouldn't have lost it and punched me. It's your fault and you're paying for it." Neji tilted his head mockingly.

"How so?" he asked. Sai reached out and grabbed his collar and Hinata had to stifle a gasp. She was clutching her milkshake so tightly now that she was beginning to break through the cup. Cold droplets of the creamy ice cream dripped down her fingers and she shivered. She saw Sai say something to Neji that she couldn't here, before reeling his fist back and letting it fly.

Neji only closed his left eye as his head snapped to the right. His body twisted as Sai let go of him and he fell to the ground, catching himself with his hands and knees. His hair flew about him and fell in front of his face, as though trying to protect him. Neji lifted a slender hand to his cheek where Sai had hit him and rested it there. Sai had hit him much harder than Sasuke had initially hit Sai. Of course that was to be expected. Sai hated Neji.

"Stay away from Sasuke," Sai growled forcefully. "Or I don't know what I might do." Neji turned his head and looked up at Sai. His eyes showed pure anger, and they flashed dangerously. Had this been a staring contest, Sai would've been struck down in a second. The boy chuckled, turned and walked away, leaving Neji on the ground breathing hard and trying to stem the small flow of blood coming from his mouth. As soon as Sai was out of sight, Hinata was instantly beside her cousin.

"Nii-san!" she cried. She fell to her knees beside him and inspected his rapidly swelling left cheek. She gasped when she saw the blood and Neji put a hand on her shoulder, attempting to calm her.

"Hinata-sama," he said, his breathing heavy. "Don't panic. We're close to Hiashi-sama's house, so let's just at least make it back." He looked meaningfully at his cousin, who wiped a small tear from her eye and helped him up. She drew his arm around her shoulder and led him back to her father's house, asking only one question the whole time.

"Are you going to listen to him?" she asked, her voice almost a whisper. At that Neji had flinched as though he had been hit a second time. He hadn't thought about that. But now that his mind was brought over to it, only one answer seemed to make sense.

"Hai, Hinata-sama," he said. "I am going to listen to him." When he saw Hinata's face mix relief with sorrow, he tried to chuckle, but it hurt too much.

"My own well being is more important to me than a relationship that doesn't even exist," he said bitterly. "Sasuke doesn't care for me that way and I don't want to get him or myself beaten up because I'm just too stubborn to let him go." Hinata sniffled softly.

"But you—"

"Leave it, Hinata-sama. I've made my decision and there's no going back."

* * *

**Holy Hell. What the HELL is my problem!! I'm so sadistic!! Just when things were looking better for poor Neji, Sai had to go and hurt him!! Sasuke's gonna throw a fit! **

**Hinata's getting worried! Neji's getting desperate and Sasuke's getting angry!! What will happened?? **

**Review please!! **


	18. Finally!

They arrived back to Hiashi's house before dusk and Hinata had immediately treated Neji's wound. Hiashi was almost beside himself and Hanabi fussed over Neji with the rest of them. As soon as the bleeding stopped and Neji's cheek had a bandage placed carefully over it, the Hyuuga had gone to bed. Hiashi watched him with a worried look on his face. He turned to Hinata, shaking beside him.

"What happened, Hinata?" he asked. Hinata looked down at her feet.

"We were walking back here, and someone came out of the forest and attacked him," she replied carefully. Hiashi's look became harsher and firmer.

"Who was it, Hinata?" he asked. Hinata squeaked and quickly shook her head. Hiashi knelt down in front of her and looked her directly in the eye.

"Please, tell me, Hinata," he said, his voice softer this time. "I need to know who did that to him." Hinata looked at her father and shut her eyes before stammering out, "S-Sai!" Hiashi nodded once and hugged his daughter comfortingly.

"Arigato," he said. "Don't worry. I promise you he'll be fine." But he wasn't sure. And Hinata knew he wasn't sure. And Hanabi knew he wasn't sure. Hiashi swiftly left the room, leaving Hinata trembling with her sister.

"Does this have anything to do with the person that Neji-san likes?" Hanabi asked, her voice calm. Hinata nodded. Hanabi sighed.

"I thought so," she said quietly. With an air of sincerity she added, "His heart must be tearing all over again."

That night, Neji awoke at midnight because of the pain. He tenderly reached up and felt his cheek, wincing at its swollen state and at the pain. He sat up in bed and leaned against the backboard. He sighed and his eyes fell shut, his mind wandering. He had been threatened, hurt and warned against going near Sasuke. But Neji was sure that abstinence from the Uchiha would surely kill him more painfully than Sai ever could. But he still didn't want to jeopardize himself for someone who didn't return his sentiments. As selfish as that sounded. Neji repositioned himself in his bed and tried again to resume the peaceful dormant state he had been in moments ago. But he couldn't. His mind kept forming Sasuke's image, and that only tore the Hyuuga up more.

Finally, though, Neji slipped into a restless sleep. He awoke the next morning and saw Hiashi sitting on his bed. He sat up immediately.

"Hiashi-sama," he choked. His uncle's face creased with concern at seeing his nephew's battered condition.

"Don't push yourself, Neji," he said, his voice drenched with sympathy. "I came up here to tell you that I don't think you should go to school today." He watched Neji's expression become thoughtful, though painfully so. After a moment, the brunette boy looked at his uncle.

"I agree," he said. "Arigato, Hiashi-sama. Thank you for your kindness." Hiashi winced at the forced politeness.

"Are you going to be alright, nephew?" he asked. Neji nodded.

"Please, don't concern yourself too much with me," he said. "I can handle this better than you think." He smiled and Hiashi, far from being fooled, nodded, standing up.

"Well, I am going to stay with you today," he said. "Regardless of what you say." Neji nodded and Hiashi turned and left his room. The brunette Hyuuga sighed. _Perfect._ He thought dejectedly. _A perfect chance to stay away from Sasuke._

Sasuke ventured to Neji's house, as he always did, to walk the Hyuuga to school. When he saw the door open and only Hinata emerge, he grew slightly concerned. When he saw the look of worry on her face, that concern changed to fright and anxiety. He approached her and asked, "Where's Neji?" Hinata's brow furrowed and she bit her lip.

"H-he's sick," she said in a small voice. Sasuke raised an eyebrow.

"With what?" he asked. Hinata began to quiver slightly.

"S-stomach flu," she said, her voice wavering. Sasuke looked at her and sighed, disappointed.

"Well, I hope he gets better," he said. "Will you walk to school with me?" Hinata nodded and quickly hurried to walk beside Sasuke. They walked in silence until Sasuke spoke.

"Did you hear I'm dumping Sai?" he asked. Hinata nodded.

"Are you doing it for Neji-nii-san?" she asked timidly. Sasuke nodded, becoming sufficiently pink.

"Do you…like him?" the Hyuuga inquired very hesitantly, her usual violent blush beginning to take her over. Sasuke hesitated then nodded. Hinata's brow creased and she bit her lip to prevent herself from speaking. She knew what she would say; "Nii-san likes you too!" But that would be going against what she had promised Neji earlier that morning.

_Flashback: _

_Hinata walked timidly to her cousin's room. Reaching out a slender hand, she knocked twice. Softly. A moment later she heard an even softer voice answer, inviting her in. She quietly opened the door and peeked her head in. Neji was still in his bed, lying back against the pillows, his eyes gently closed, his hair strewn across the pillow and even some strands falling across his face, covering the awful bruise he sported. Hinata walked over to him shyly and he opened his eyes. They fell on her and the ghost of a smile flitted across his face. _

_"Konnichiwa, Hinata-sama," he said. "I'm glad you're here. There's something I need to tell you." Hinata nodded and Neji motioned for her to sit down on the bed. When she did, he brushed his hair from his eyes and sat up. _

_"Please, I don't want you to tell Uchiha about this," he said solemnly. Hinata blinked and then her eyes widened. _

_"But, Nii-san!" she said desperately. "He would want to here about this! Didn't you tell me that you heard him say he was going to break up with Sai?" Neji nodded but looked unsure. _

_"I don't know if he's really going to," he said finally. Hinata's mouth parted and her eyes flashed with disbelief. _

_"Nii-san, you can't mean to tell me that you don't believe him!" she implored. Neji looked guilty now, refusing to meet her eyes. Hinata was on her feet now, looking frantically at her cousin. _

_"You know, I'll bet the only reason he's doing this is for you!" she said, trying desperately to change her cousin's mind. Neji still held firm. _

_"Hinata, please, I ask you as family, please do this for me," he said. Hinata shook her head. _

_"But, Nii-san—" _

_"Hinata," Neji said forcefully. Hinata quieted. Neji continued. _

_"You cannot change my mind about this, cousin," he said. "My decision is final, please honor it." Hinata looked down at the floor and shook her head. _

_"Fine," she said. She closed her eyes and turned to leave. She was at the door when Neji stopped her. _

_"Hinata-sama," he said timidly. "Arigato." Hinata didn't turn around when she answered. _

_"Don't thank me," she said. "It's not a noble thing I'm doing for you."_

_End flashback:_

Hinata sighed to herself. Sasuke and Neji were in horrible positions. They both were unaware that the object of their love felt the same thing for them. And with Sai in the way, things just got much more complicated. And worse.

"Hinata-san, are you alright?" Hinata started and her head snapped over to Sasuke.

"Wha--?" she managed, blinking. "Oh, y-yes, I'm fine." Sasuke still looked worried.

"Are you sure Neji's the one who should be staying home?" the Uchiha smirked. Hinata tried to laugh at the joke, or even summon up a chuckle but nothing came. They walked in silence once more, before Hinata finally took pity on him. She may have promised Neji that she wouldn't tell the Uchiha outright, but that didn't mean she couldn't give hints.

"Are you really going to break up with Sai?" she asked softly. Sasuke looked at her.

"Of course," he insisted. "Do you think that I don't keep those kinds of promises?" He grinned to show that he was being sarcastic, but Hinata's gaze fell to the ground and she said nothing. Sasuke halted.

"Does Neji think that I won't break up with Sai?" he asked after a moment's pause. Once again, Hinata was silent. Sasuke turned his head and the air became tense, the only thing that could be heard was Sasuke's uneasy breathing. He opened his mouth and then closed it again, trying to find something to say.

"Why?" he finally managed to ask. Hinata squeezed her eyes shut and began to walk again, trying hard not to look at Sasuke's crestfallen face.

"He's in a fragile position, Sasuke-san," Hinata said. "He's afraid to immediately trust your word on something so influential." She silently reprimanded herself for speaking for her cousin, but it was true. Neji was afraid of allowing all of his hopes to ride on one promise. And Hinata understood that, and she hoped Sasuke would as well. The Uchiha recovered himself and began to walk next to her.

"Well, when you see him next, could you please tell him that every promise I make to him, I intend to keep," he said. Hinata nodded and smiled.

"I'll tell him, Sasuke-san," she promised. Sasuke nodded, smiling to himself.

"Arigato, Hinata-san," he said. Hinata nodded, smiling up at him.

The two arrived at school and Sai met them instantly.

"Hey Sasuke," he said, waving. "And, Hyuuga Hinata, right? You're the brunette Hyuuga's cousin?" Hinata glared at him and growled, "Stay away from my cousin!" She turned to look meanignfully at Sasuke before walking quickly away to find Naruto. Sasuke watched her go, smirking.

"Not a bad idea, Sai," he said. "You should stay away from Neji." Sai looked at him.

"What's your problem, Sasuke?" he scoffed. "What are you smoking?" Sasuke rolled his eyes.

"Shut up, Sai," he said. "You know that I'm a brutally honest guy, so I'm going to get right to it. You have been officially dumped. Goodbye." He started to walk around Sai, but the ebon haired boy grabbed his hand, grinning and shaking his head.

"I know what's happening here," he said. "It's that Hyuuga kid. He's gotten to your head. Well, I know how to fix that." He drew his arm around Sasuke's waist and pulled the disgusted Uchiha closer, trailing kisses down his neck.

"There's an empty alcove around the back of the school," he said seductively. "Why don't we head there and—"

"Shut up, Sai!" Sasuke growled, shoving the offending boy off of him. Sai backed away and blinked confusedly but tried again.

"What's wrong, baby?" he asked. "Why the sudden change of attitude?" Sasuke's eyes narrowed.

"Stay the hell away from me, Sai," he said. "And my friends. You go near them and you're—" Sai's lips cut him off, and the persistent boy took advantage of Sasuke's open mouth, slipping his tongue into the Uchiha's mouth. Sasuke growled and shoved Sai off him once more, this time letting his fist connect with Sai's face when he advanced on him again.

"You just never give up, do you!?" he hissed angrily. "Don't come near me again, bastard!" He turned and started to walk away. Sai's hand was on his cheek where Sasuke had punched him, and his eyes showed anger. He watched the retreating figure of his former boyfriend and his face screwed up with frustration. _Stupid Hyuuga_.

Sasuke walked through the halls of Konoha High, letting his anger mellow and thinking of when Neji would be back at school. He wanted to tell the Hyuuga everything. How Sai was no longer a part of his life. How he felt about Neji. Everything.

Sasuke sighed. For the first time in what felt like forever, he sat through second period history class by himself.

Neji wasn't faring so well by himself, either. It was virtually impossible for him to close his eyes and prevent Sasuke's image from forming. It was virtually impossible for him to open his eyes and prevent himself from hoping Sasuke would magically appear beside him. It _was_ impossible for him to prevent himself from missing Sasuke.

The Hyuuga sighed and thought back to his conversation with Hinata. Why had he told her not to tell Sasuke what he felt about him, again? Oh yeah, because he was afraid. Of a stupid kid, who Sasuke said he would be breaking up with. Why didn't he trust Sasuke's ability to keep his promises? Oh yeah, because he was stupid. Neji's brow creased and he pinched the bridge of his nose. Why hadn't he told Sasuke he loved him?

That was one question he didn't know the answer to.

Hinata walked with Naruto to lunch, silently. Naruto sensed that she was upset about something and had tried to keep quiet about it, but he was Naruto and the silence was killing him. Metaphorically, of course.

"Hinata-chan please tell me what the hell's going on," Naruto pleaded. "Come on! Please!" Hinata sighed and looked at him. Would Neji be angry at her if she told Naruto? Would Naruto tell Sasuke? They were good friends after all. Would Naruto honor his friendship with Sasuke or his unspoken promise with Neji?

"Naruto-kun, I can't," Hinata squeaked. "I promised Nii-san." Naruto looked disappointed, to say the least.

"But, why, Hinata-chan?" he whined. "Neji-chan's my friend too!" Hinata just shook her head and became a bright red. Naruto sulked but gave in.

They arrived at lunch and Naruto's attention was drawn to Sasuke, eating alone where he and Neji normally sat. His face became worried. Turning to Hinata, he asked, "Why isn't Neji-chan here again?" Hinata turned red.

"H-he's sick," she stuttered. She had always hated lying. Deidara looked at her.

"With what?" he asked.

"S-stomach flu," she said, trying to magically get smaller and less noticeable. Sasori looked concerned.

"Well, I hope he gets better," he said. Hinata nodded.

"Arigato," she said quietly. Tenten stood up and looked at her.

"Hinata-san, do you want to go with me and get an ice cream bar?" she asked. Hinata nodded and stumbled to her feet, scurrying after Tenten in the direction of the snacks. Before they reached it, however, Tenten stopped her.

"Now what's really going on?" she asked firmly. Hinata blinked, taken aback.

"Wh-what do you mean?" she asked, trying desperately to keep the promise she had made Neji. Tenten's hands found her hips and the girl looked at Hinata with the utmost solemnity.

"Hinata, I'm being serious. I want to know what's happened to Neji-san now," she demanded. Hinata looked down and took a deep breath.

"B-but I promised him I wouldn't tell," Hinata tried, once again to remain true to her promise. Tenten's look softened.

"Well, I won't tell anyone if you don't want me to," she said. "But please at least tell me. I can see that keeping it quiet is getting to be hard for you." Hinata looked at Tenten for a moment.

"Okay," she said. "I'll tell you." She took a deep breath and her eyes flashed back to Naruto and the others.

"Just don't tell Sasuke-san," the Hyuuga girl said seriously. When Tenten nodded, Hinata continued.

"Last night, Nii-san and I went out to get some ice cream, and on our way back, we…ran into someone," she said. "That was when Nii-san…shoved me into the woods and called out to them. They came out and…told him not to go near Sasuke-san. Then he…he punched Nii-san. That's why he's not here." She stopped and let out a shaky breath, looking at Tenten, who looked shocked.

"Wh-who was it that you saw?" she asked incredulously. Hinata's face turned a deep red and she began to shake.

"Uh…um…well," she started. Tenten waited patiently. Hinata squeezed her eyes shut and clasped her hands together.

"I-it was Sai!" she said, a little louder than she intended. Tenten's shocked expression changed to one of anger.

"I figured," she mumbled to herself. "So, he told Neji-san to stay away from Sasuke. I see why, but Sasuke told me that he broke it off with the bastard." Hinata nodded.

"But Nii-san agreed to stay away from Sasuke," she said. "The only reason he's staying home is so he won't have to deal with Sai." Tenten now looked downright outraged.

"Where is he now?" she asked. Hinata looked panicked.

"N-not Sai?" she squeaked. Tenten nodded.

"He needs to know that it's not just Neji-san and Sasuke-san who are involved in this," she said determinedly. She looked around and saw Sai attempting to approach Sasuke.

"Come on, Hinata-san," she said. Grabbing Hinata's hand, she marched over to Sai and Sasuke.

"Hey, Sai, what are you doing?" Tenten demanded, folding her arms. Sai and Sasuke turned to look at her and the latter smirked.

"Trying to molest me," he sniggered. Tenten looked at him and grinned before turning back to glower at Sai.

"Lay off, bastard," she said, appearing more intimidating than one would've thought possible. "You've already done enough to Neji." Beside her, Hinata nodded vigorously. Sasuke's head snapped to Tenten.

"What?" he asked, his tone changing to one of urgency. Sai looked quickly from him to Tenten.

"What are you talking about?" he asked, feigning ignorance. That made Tenten and Hinata twitch angrily.

"Disgusting," Tenten spat. "And you're still running after Sasuke even though he dumped you." She shook her head in mock disapproving, clicking her tongue. Sai narrowed his eyes at the patronization.

"Why don't you shut up and mind your own business?" he shot, glaring at her. Tenten glared back.

"My friends are my business," she countered. "And I just came over here to tell you that if you pull a stunt like that again, you'll have the rest of them to deal with." She jerked her thumb towards Naruto and everyone else. Sai smirked.

"What are you going to do?" he challenged. "How do you even know I did anything?" Hinata stepped towards him angrily.

"I was there!" she said, her voice rising threateningly. "That's how. Because I saw you do that, and if you do ever anything like that again, I swear I will buy a gun and shoot you!" Tenten and Sasuke looked at Hinata, baffled as she glared furiously at Sai, who was also too stunned to say anything. Without another word, the ebon haired Hyuuga turned on her heel and stormed away. Tenten, now grinning like Naruto, followed her and Sasuke, confused and worried about Neji, followed.

"Hinata-san," he said. "What the hell were you talking about? What's going on?" Hinata, having already realized that she said too much, shook her head and sped up. Sasuke picked up his pace and stayed with her.

"Hinata-san, tell me what's going on!" he demanded. "And what happened to Neji?" Hinata stopped and took a deep breath, hints of her anger still boiling within her.

"I promised him I wouldn't tell anyone," she said. Sasuke looked hard at her.

"What?" he said. "What won't you tell?" Hinata looked at Tenten, who shrugged. Sasuke was struggling now not to grab her shoulders and shake the truth out of her. She looked down and then sighed.

"Sai…" she began. "Neji…he…that is, last night, when we were…Sai came and…I promised I wouldn't tell…" She broke off and Sasuke nodded, understanding what happened, or at least a general idea of it.

"So that's why Neji isn't here?" Sasuke asked, his voice deadly calm. Hinata nodded, opting at that moment to flash another glare at Sai. Sasuke followed her gaze and glowered at the ebon haired boy, his eyes flashing red. He turned back to Hinata and said, "Arigato, Hinata-san." Hinata nodded and watched as Sasuke turned and walked hurriedly away.

"Where's he going?" Tenten asked, amazed. Hinata shrugged.

"Neji-nii-san, probably," she said. Tenten looked at her and smiled knowingly.

Sasuke jumped the steps onto the porch. He approached the blue door and knocked. A moment later a very surprised looking Hiashi emerged.

"Uchiha-san?" he asked incredulously. "Shouldn't you be in school?" Sasuke shrugged and nodded.

"Where's Neji?" he asked. "I need to talk to him." Hiashi blinked, surprised.

"He's up in his room," the Hyuuga adult said. "If you don't mind waiting here I'll go see if he wants to talk to you." Sasuke nodded and the blue door was shut halfway as Hiashi ventured back into the house. Sasuke began to walk nervously about the porch. What had happened to Neji? What did Sai do to him that was enough to render him unable to attend school? And why had Hinata promised not to tell him what had happened?

"Uchiha-san?" Sasuke whipped around and saw Hiashi come out of the house. His face was pitying and awkward.

"My nephew is not in a good condition to see anyone," he said, choosing his words carefully. Sasuke's posture slipped and his face fell. He nodded.

"Arigato, Hyuuga-sama, thank you for trying," he said. "Could you, at least tell him that…I'm sorry?" Hiashi nodded and started to turn around.

"And." Hiashi stopped. Sasuke continued.

"Tell him that he doesn't need to worry about being hurt anymore," he said. Hiashi looked at him, with an expression of slight disbelief. Sasuke grinned at him.

"I intend to keep that promise, don't worry," he said, turning away. Hiashi blinked and slowly smiled as he watched Sasuke walk away. _Uchiha, perhaps you can save my nephew._

* * *

**Oooooh, go Hinata!! That's how to tell off that stupid Sai bastard!! Poor Neji! Can't go to school and confess his feelings to Sasuke.**

**Sasuke broke up with Sai!! FINALLY! About damn time! He's probably going to beat him up in front of Neji, just to impress his little Uke!! **

**Aaaah! Review and tell me if I should change anything please!!**


	19. Yours

Neji was back at school the next day, sporting a bandage covering the ugly black and blue bruise on his cheek.

He woke at 5:30, as always and completed his morning rituals, coming down the stairs and finding Hinata sitting on the couch nervously.

"Hinata-sama," he said softly, approaching her. She whipped around to face him.

"N-Nii-san!" she stuttered. "Gomen! Sasuke-san knows!" Neji was confused for a moment before what she was saying sunk in. He smiled at her clear sheepishness and sat down next to her.

"Did you tell?" he asked. "Or did he find out on his own?" Hinata reddened.

"A little of both," she said, her voice cracking. Neji chuckled.

"Well, I'm not mad, Hinata-sama," he said. Hinata turned to face him, still cautious.

"Y-you're not?" she asked carefully. Neji shook his head.

"What you said yesterday, about how you weren't doing a noble thing for me, you were right," he said. "I've been beating myself up for asking you to do that, so I'm a little relieved that he knows." Hinata looked up at him and smiled.

Arigato, Nii-san," she said. Neji nodded and Hinata continued.

"And he told me to tell you that he—" she started.

"Intends to keep every promise he ever makes to me," Neji finished. Hinata blinked, surprised and nodded.

"Y-yes, but how did you know?" she asked incredulously. Neji grinned.

"Because Hiashi came to me yesterday and quoted the exact same thing," he said. Looking down, he added, "I didn't think he would skip school for me." Hinata giggled and embraced her cousin.

"That's because he cares about you, Nii-san!" she said lightly. Neji couldn't help but smile at Hinata's innocent tone.

"Well, I know that," he said. "But I didn't know he felt that strongly." Hinata chuckled.

"Well that just goes to show how pathetic you are," she said in a too-sweet voice. Neji raised an eyebrow at her as she winked, stood and walked out of the room. This was a whole different side of Hinata that he had never seen before.

Shaking his head, Neji stood and left the room to finish preparing for school.

At 6:57, Hinata and Neji were leaving the house for Konoha High. Sasuke, as usual waited for Neji and Hinata, prepared to walk with only the latter if the former was still "sick." The Uchiha smirked when he saw Neji emerge from the house with Hinata. He quickly walked over to him and said, "How's that stomach flu, Hyuuga?" Neji looked confused.

"Stomach flu?" he asked slowly, turning to Hinata. His cousin had a bright red blush on her face and turned away.

"That's what I told everyone you had that kept you out of school," she said timidly. Neji blinked and then laughed.

"Nicely done, Hinata-sama," he praised. "I apologize, though for asking you to lie to everyone." Hinata nodded and waved it away. She turned to Sasuke.

"Ready?" she asked. Sasuke nodded. He, Neji and Hinata turned and began their long-familiar walk to Konoha High. Hinata, along the way, managed to subtly slip ahead of the two boys. She accurately figured they needed some time to sort certain things out.

"Uchiha, did you…did you really break up with Sai?" Neji asked a little shyly. Sasuke nodded.

"Yup," he said. "It took some doing but I was finally able to shake the bastard off." Neji looked away, going slightly pink.

"Gomen," he said. "I'm sorry I came between you two." Sasuke looked at him incredulously, before shaking his head.

"Shut up," he said. Neji turned to him, surprised.

"Don't ever apologize for something like that," he said. "I never told you about Sai for a reason and that was because I never wanted to see him again. And besides, I want you to be between us." Neji blinked, taken aback. Sasuke continued awkwardly.

"If it means you'll be closer to me, then hell yeah, I want you between us," he finished, a light shade of pink now coloring his cheeks. Neji turned to face forward, fighting a blush of his own.

"And," he heard Sasuke say. "He hurt you, and I can never be with someone who hurt you." Neji was surprised at how many signals Sasuke was sending. He had never heard Sasuke send such strong signals before.

Wait. That wasn't right. Sasuke had sent signals before. Many of them, now that Neji thought about it. He was just too ignorant to notice. Come to think of it, the Uchiha had been the only one sending signals here; the only one who ever made the relationship move forward, and heaven be damned if Neji didn't want the relationship between him and the Uchiha to move forward! It was about time he sent a signal of his own.

Slowly, cautiously, but surely, Neji moved towards Sasuke. He moved his hand out a little ways and grasped Sasuke's. He heard a small sharp intake of breath from the other as he fit his fingers around and between Sasuke's. He fought the urge to smile when the Uchiha's hand softly closed itself around Neji's. He fought the urge to gasp when he felt the raven haired boy's shoulder brushing against his own as Sasuke moved closer to him.

And just like that, their relationship took a small step forward.

Neji, Hinata and Sasuke arrived at school and Neji was attacked by Naruto.

"Neji-chan!" he shouted, pulling Neji into a bone-crushing hug. "I'm so glad you're okay! How are you feeling? That stomach flu's gone, right?" He looked concerned and Neji took pity on him.

"There was no stomach flu, Naruto-san," he admitted. "I had an unfortunate encounter and was unable to come to school yesterday." Naruto's eyes bugged.

"Whaaat!?" he yelled. "What happened? Is that why you have that bruise on your cheek?" Neji nodded. Hinata stepped forward and took Naruto's hand.

"Naruto-kun, let's all go inside, he'll tell you about it there," she said. Naruto nodded and he, Hinata, Sasuke and Neji went into Konoha High with the crowd of their peers. Upon entrance Naruto turned to Neji.

"Okay, Neji-chan, what's going on?" he demanded. Neji looked to Hinata, who smiled apologetically. He sighed.

"Alright, Naruto-san," he said. "Hinata and I went to get ice cream, and on our way back to her house we ran into Sai. He told me to stay away from Uchiha and punched me to show he was serious." Naruto's eyes widened and his face became angry.

"That bastard!?" he confirmed angrily. Neji nodded. Sasuke grinned.

"But, don't worry about threatening him," he chuckled. "Hinata-san already threatened to buy a gun and shoot him." Both Neji's and Naruto's head snapped to face Hinata, who turned red.

"Whoa, Hinata-chan, I'm proud of you!" Naruto shouted, hugging her as tight as he had hugged Neji. "You're growing up!"

"Hinata-sama, I'm surprised," Neji said incredulously. "You never struck me as one who would say something like that." Hinata blushed furiously.

"I never thought I was that kind of person," she confessed. "I guess you just bring out the rebel in me." Neji smirked. He looked at his cousin before shaking his head.

"Naruto-san, we should get to class," he said, when nothing else came out. "Uchiha, come on." Sasuke nodded. Naruto let go of Hinata and the ebon haired Hyuuga waved cheerfully and walked quickly to her class. Naruto turned to Sasuke and Neji, grinning wryly.

"Should I leave you two alone?" he asked, a mocking tone to his voice. Neji raised his brow.

"If you want," he said. Naruto raised his eyebrow in response and hurried off. Sasuke and Neji watched him go and the former shook his head.

"He never knows when to stop," he said. Neji shrugged.

"It's a wonder he still has friends," he said, grinning to show he was joking. Sasuke smiled.

"Well, he certainly as his heart in the right place," he said. Neji nodded. They dodged by other students and eventually reached Neji's English class, in Room 203. Neji started to turn into the room, but Sasuke stopped him.

"Hyuuga," he said. "Wait for me after class. We'll go to second period together." Neji blinked and nodded.

"Alright, Uchiha," he said. "See you then." Sasuke nodded and turned to his class. Neji watched him go and then headed into his own classroom. He felt incredibly light-headed. Somehow, it felt as though his friendship with Sasuke had been renewed and strengthened. It was a wonderful feeling, but it still wasn't enough to completely heal him. One part of him was left torn and could only be whole again if Sasuke returned the Hyuuga's true feelings. Which, Neji knew would never happen.

Wait. Was he sure that Sasuke didn't feel intimately for him? Thinking back, Neji could mention many times in which the evidence had pointed to the positive. Especially, Neji remembered, the almost kiss he and Sasuke had shared at his house. Had Sai not barged in and ruined the moment, it would have taken more than ten Naruto's to get the Hyuuga's lips separated from Sasuke's. Neji blushed as he recalled the moment of weakness. He sighed, wishing it could've lasted.

English class ended and Neji was still thinking remorsefully about all the chances he could've taken but didn't. He walked out of the room and stood to the side of the hall, waiting for Sasuke.

Very unfortunately, it was not Sasuke's hands that grabbed him rather forcefully down an empty side hall. They were Sai's. Neji winced as Sai shoved him violently against a locker. He choked when Sai's hand found his neck. The other held his wrists tightly above his head. Neji's eyes widened slightly when they fell on Sai's face, twisted and contorted with rage and anger.

"Sai, wha—"

"Shut up, Hyuuga!" Sai hissed, his every syllable quivering with a furious razor sharp edge. Neji flinched.

"What are you—"

"You know Sasuke dumped me," Sai spat through gritted teeth. "And it's because of you. If he hadn't met you, then I would still be in his life." Neji blinked, surprised.

"I didn't mean to—" _Slap!_ Sai released his hold on Neji's neck and a moment later, the Hyuuga felt a stinging pain as that very same hand came crashing down on his face. Neji's head snapped to the side, much as it had two days before. His eyes clenched shut and he struggled to keep the pained noise from leaving his throat. He tried to pull his hands from Sai's grip, but the boy's hold was too tight.

"If you can get Sasuke to come back to me," Sai said, his tone dark. "I'll leave you alone." Neji looked at Sai. He opened his mouth to speak but was cut off. His heart surged at the voice.

"What are you doing Sai? I thought I told you to get the hell out of my life." Sai whipped around and saw Sasuke standing a few feet away from him, his eyes red as hell and his fists clenched so tight his knuckles were beginning to whiten. He advanced on Sai.

"Let go of him," Sasuke growled, his voice barely audible, but as forceful as an entire army. Sai smirked.

"Only if you—" He didn't get to finish. Sasuke wrenched him off of Neji and slammed him into a locker; much harder than Sai did to Neji previously. Growling, Sasuke pulled back his fist and let it fly. Sai was hit so hard he was sent twisting off his feet. He hit the ground and clutched his face. Scowling, he stood up and glared at Neji, refusing to believe that the one person whom he considered his boyfriend(A.K.A. sex toy) didn't like him. Angrily, he started towards, Neji, who scurried away. Sasuke's knee connected with his stomach. Sai doubled over as Sasuke wrenched him up, prepared to strike again.

"Sasuke, stop!" Neji shouted. The Uchiha stopped, mid-punch. His breathing was heavy, and his teeth were gritted. His eyes narrowed and he struggled not to hit Sai. The ebon haired boy breathed out and sank to the ground, clutching his stomach. Sasuke retreated, leaving the pitiful boy to himself, and put an arm protectively around Neji's waist, pulling him in.

"Don't you ever come near Neji again, Sai," Sasuke hissed menacingly. "He's not yours to hurt." He started to turn, keeping himself between Sai and Neji, so the Hyuuga would not become an easy target, but Sai stopped him.

"And he's yours to protect?" he choked, gasping for breath. Sasuke stopped and his hold on Neji tightened.

"Yeah," he replied, his voice calming slightly. "He is." With that, he turned and led Neji away, still quite angry. When they were a reasonable distance from Sai, Sasuke turned to Neji, his arm still wrapped around the Hyuuga's waist.

"How much does it hurt?" he asked. Neji grinned at him, trying to lighten the mood.

"What, no 'are you alright?'" he joked. Sasuke looked at him seriously, inspecting the fresh bruise that covered the old one. He winced.

"He hit you in the same place he did last time?" he asked angrily, his hold on Neji tightening even more. Neji tried to hide a flinch.

"Uchiha," he said softly. "You're hurting me." Sasuke blinked and jumped slightly, taking his hands off the brunette.

"Gomen," he said. Turning away from Neji, he said, "Come on. I'll take you to the nurse." Neji nodded and fought hard to keep the blush that threatened at bay. Sasuke had been holding him so tightly. It had been such a protective gesture that seemed to stem from something…deeper. Something Neji couldn't fathom but that felt familiar to him.

Neji pushed the thought from his mind as he entered the very white nurse's office. A man with blue hair sat in a black chair behind a desk. Next to him was a row of three hospital beds and a smaller desk, at which sat a man with oily flowing black hair and very unusual yellow eyes. The man with the blue hair looked up and smiled kindly, his glasses glinting in the slight glare. He stood up.

"Can I help you?" he asked. Sasuke nodded and urged Neji gently forward. Neji stepped forward and turned his head so the man could better see his bruise. The man's brow creased.

"How did this happen?" he asked, concerned. Neji looked slightly hesitant but answered.

"Someone hit me," he said quietly. The man moved backwards slightly, his eyes showing concern.

"Are you going to report it to Tsunade-sama?" he asked. Neji nodded as the man with black hair looked up, sneering.

"Why?" he asked in strangely snake-like way. "She can't even handle her own problems, much less those of others." At this the blue haired man looked angrily over to the black haired one.

"Be quiet, Orochimaru!" he commanded firmly. "No one's interested in hearing your twisted take of Tsunade-sama." The other man smirked.

"Relax, Kabuto-kun," he said smoothly. "You were so laid back when we were alone, why so tense now?" The blue haired man, Kabuto attempted to hide a blush.

"Just shut up," he hissed. The one called Orochimaru sniggered and winked, looking back down to the papers scattered on his desk. Kabuto turned back to Neji, effectively hiding his annoyance. He cleared his throat.

"What's your name?" he asked.

"Hyuuga Neji," Neji replied. Kabuto nodded.

"Alright, then Hyuuga-san," he said. "Let's take a look at that bruise." Neji nodded and Kabuto took a step towards him, gently inspecting the bruise, his hands holding Neji's face so he wouldn't move. Sasuke watched awkwardly as the nurse touched Neji's face. _His_ Neji's face. He felt a clear feeling of irritancy boil within him as Kabuto's hands touched the bruise and Neji winced, almost pulling away. The Uchiha had to fight the urge to reach over and slap the man's hands away. It was surprisingly hard. Still, he forced himself to grin and bear it, for lack of a better phrase.

"Well, Hyuuga-san, the best you can do at this point is just apply some ice and wait for it to heal," Kabuto said apologetically. "Gomen. I'm sorry I can't do more." Neji waved the apology away.

"It's alright, Kabuto-sama," he said. "How long will it take for the bruise to heal?" Kabuto thought for a moment.

"A few weeks tops," he said. "Just try to keep anymore people form hitting it." He smiled and Neji thanked him. Kabuto went to get him an ice pack and returned a few moments later.

"Arigato, Kabuto-sama," Neji said, applying the ice pack to his bruised cheek, grimacing at the sudden cold contact.

"Would you like to stay here for a while, or do you want to go to class?" Kabuto asked. Neji eyed the black haired Orochimaru and said, "I think I'll go to class." Kabuto, understanding the reason for his reluctance to stay, nodded.

"Alright," he said. "I'll write you a pass. Hold on."

In a few minutes, Neji and Sasuke were on their way, their passes in their hand and the ice pack gently applied to Neji's injury. As they reached the stairs, Sasuke stopped.

"Hyuuga," he said in a slightly strained voice. "I'm sorry about…back there when I said that you were...mine. I wasn't paying attention to what I was saying." Neji looked at Sasuke with an unreadable expression. Sasuke opened his mouth in an attempt to clarify his message but the Hyuuga shook his head.

"Uchiha," he said firmly. "I don't…mind being considered to be yours." _Hell I wouldn't mind _being _yours._ Neji tried to hide a blush as he said this. He wondered if Sasuke understood the secret meaning of those words. The Uchiha looked at him and slowly smiled. Nodding, he reached out and took hold of Neji's hand; the one that wasn't holding the ice pack; and led the brunette boy to their next class. The two walked silently but comfortably, brightened by the other's presence.

* * *

**AAAaaaaWwwwWWW!! They're getting so close!! One of these days it's just gonna burst out of them!! Who do u guys think is gonna crack first?? xD **

**Sasuke finally beat up Sai!! Too bad Neji had to stop him. Oh, well. At least he understands that Sasuke is no longer his whore. **

**Please review and tell me what u liked and what I should change!! Luv us guys!**


	20. Concert Confessions

Slowly, the days passed. Neji's bruise slowly healed, Sai understood that his well being was at stake if he went anywhere near Neji or any other friends of Sasuke's, and the level of happiness in Neji's life increased.

Especially since something was happening that, generally, Neji looked forward to. A lot.

The orchestra concert was coming up in just one week. It was going to be on a Friday night from seven o'clock to nine o'clock. The band would play first, then the chorus would go and then the orchestra. The last number was going to be Sasuke's and Neji's duet with the chorus duo. Neji found himself very excited, and openly displaying said excitement. He sat with and actually _talked to_ the people at his lunch table. Sakura and Ino were pleasantly surprised when he returned their comments and questions with comments and questions of his own. Sasuke was excited as well. But only Naruto and Neji really got to see his excitement.

When the weekend came, Neji and Hinata were invited by Shikamaru, Ino, Sakura, Naruto, Lee, Tenten and Sasuke to go with them to a late night movie. Neji and Hinata had agreed and at eight o'clock in the evening, they arrived at the Konoha High building to meet up with the others. Shikamaru and Sasuke stood slightly off to the side while everyone else stood in one big group. Naruto had grinned and pulled both Neji and Hinata into one big bear hug, before shoving Neji over to Sasuke and pulling Hinata to his side. Neji had flashed a quick look at Naruto before everyone all migrated to the movie theater.

"What movie are we watching?" Neji asked. Sasuke shrugged.

"Some chick flick," he said. "I wouldn't have gone, but Shikamaru, the whipped boyfriend here, wouldn't let me refuse." He grinned and Shikamaru turned faintly pink and made an irritated noise.

"Hey you try having Ino for a girlfriend and see how you get along," he snorted. "Troublesome girls." Conveniently, Ino chose that moment to fling her arms around the Nara's neck and squealed, "Shikamaruuuuu! Buy me the popcorn?" She batted her eyes and Shikamaru grumped.

"Ch, troublesome," he muttered, annoyed. His eyes flashed to Sasuke, who smirked and chuckled. Neji struggled to hide his grin. Naruto laughed and Hinata bit her lower lip to keep from giggling. Lee clapped a hand on Shikamaru's shoulder.

"Come now, my youthful friend!" he chided. "One does not get a chance like this so often! It is a chance for you to prove your fiery burning love by purchasing a snack that Ino-san will thoroughly enjoy!! Let the flames and sparks of love and youthful energy take over your body and buy that popcorn!!" Shikamaru twitched. He sighed, and Sasuke and Neji watched as the Nara struggled to get both Ino and Lee off of him. Neji laughed.

"Isn't it adorable?" he asked sarcastically. Sasuke nodded.

"Shikamaru, do you think I could get a picture?" he asked, taking out his phone. The Nara's eyes flashed dangerously to Sasuke and, with one large burst of strength, he threw Lee and Ino off of him; Ino a little more gently than Lee. He put his arms behind his head and attempted to regain his previous lazy and indifferent attitude.

They arrived at the theater with fifteen minutes to spare. Sasuke and Neji sat down at a table and Tenten volunteered to get the snacks and drinks. After asking what everyone wanted and collecting the money from everyone, she went to the snack bar, flipped off a guy who tried to hit on her, and bought everything. Sakura and Ino were talking with each other, Ino's arm possessively snaked through Shikamaru's. The Nara, oddly enough, didn't seem to mind. Naruto, Hinata, Lee and Tenten, after she distributed drinks and snacks and change, went over to a table near the one where Neji and Sasuke sat. Naruto kept shooting glances over at his favorite would-be couple. After the fifth subtle peek, he sighed exasperatedly.

"When are they gonna tell each other!?" he asked, a little too loudly. Neji and Sasuke turned to face Naruto and both shook their heads, before resuming their conversation. Naruto let out a deep sigh that was almost a groan. Tenten chuckled.

"Who do you think is going to crack first?" she asked. Naruto's brow creased as he thought, his eyes darting between the two boys.

"Sasuke," he said. Hinata shook her head.

"No, I think Neji-nii-san will crack," she said. "He's getting desperate." Lee nodded and put a hand to his chin, raising a large eyebrow.

"It's hard to say," he said, dragging out the word, 'say' as long as possible. "They're both getting pretty desperate to tell the other." Ino cocked her head slightly.

"Five bucks on Neji," she said. Sakura looked at her.

"I'll take that bet," she said. Shikamaru looked intrigued.

"You want to raise it at all?" he asked. Ino looked impressed.

"Alright, Shika-kun," she said. "Ten bucks on Neji." Shikamaru nodded.

"I'll take that," he said. Naruto grinned.

"I'll go up to fifteen bucks on Sasuke," he said. Hinata turned red.

"Y-you really shouldn't be betting on something like this—" she started, but Naruto stopped her.

"Aww, come on Hina-chan! Have some fun, will ya?" he goaded. Hinata's red flush deepened, but she said, "Twenty dollars on Nii-san." Tenten clapped.

"Nice, Hinata-san," she said. "I'll take that."

"What are you talking about?" Everyone turned and saw Neji and Sasuke standing over them, ready to go to the movie. Tenten grinned.

"Which of you is going to crack first," she said simply. "Right now, Neji-kun, you're the favorite." Neji raised a brow.

"Oh?" he asked. Under the piercing gaze of his opalescent eyes, everyone squirmed slightly. Naruto quickly stood and looked around.

"H-hey, everyone, let's go to the movie now, it should be starting soon!" he said. Gratefully, everyone nodded and stood, heading towards the theater. Neji shook his head and followed, Sasuke right beside him. They walked through the theater and eventually found the movie they were looking for. They filed in and found seats at the back of the theater. Neji and Sasuke sat in the very back, while Naruto, Hinata, Tenten, Lee, Sakura, Ino and Shikamaru sat one row ahead of them.

"Ever been to a movie theater before?" Sasuke asked Neji, grinning. Neji turned indignantly.

"Yes!" he said, a little too defensively. Sasuke chuckled.

"Relax," he said. "Just teasing." Neji made a small noise of annoyance and shook his head.

"Ssssshhhhhh!!" Sakura hissed. "The movie's starting!" Neji rolled his eyes and Sasuke turned to face the screen. A moment later the lights dimmed and the screen lit up. The previews. Neji sighed. He always hated the previews. Sasuke, though seemed to enjoy them.

After the previews ended, the movie started. It opened on a young woman; lonely, hopeless romantic, wanting of a relationship. A few scenes later it switched to the love interest; arrogant, presumptuous, crude. Exact opposites. Neji, though he would never admit it, sort of enjoyed the final scene in which they both confessed their love. It was a heartwarming scene that made the rest of the movie worth it. Neji left the theater with a fairly warm feeling. Ino, Sakura, Tenten and Hinata were talking and giggling about their favorite parts, every now and again gushing, "That was soooo sweet!" Shikamaru was talking quietly with Naruto about how much the movie scared him. Lee was gushing along with the girls and Sasuke and Neji were standing on the side.

"So, what did you think of the movie?" Sasuke asked. Neji shrugged.

"It was alright, I guess," he said. "I enjoyed the end scene, and I wouldn't be against watching it again." Sasuke nodded.

"Figured it'd be something like that," he said. "I liked the end scene too. It was kind of tear-jerking." Neji nodded. He turned and looked at the girls and Lee, smirking to himself.

"Figures Lee would enjoy it the most," he said. "Out of the boys, anyway." Sasuke shook his head.

"I don't know," he said. "Shikamaru was getting pretty emotional there, too. I could've swore he was crying when the woman insulted the man in that big climactic scene." Neji chuckled.

"So, I wasn't hearing things," he said. Sasuke grinned.

"Nope," he said. They stood for a moment, waiting for everyone to finish talking. Tenten turned to them.

"Guys, we're going to head back now, before the theater closes and locks us in," she said, giggling. "You want to walk with us?" Sasuke looked to Neji and shook his head.

"I think I'll just walk the Hyuugas back," he said. Turning to Hinata, he said, "Ready?" Hinata, stifled a yawn and nodded. Neji reached out and took her hand.

"See you on Monday," he said. Smirking, he added, "Tenten, you'll have to tell me how your bet works out." Tenten made a throaty sound that resembled a laugh but she turned it into a cough.

"S-sure thing, Neji-san," she said. "Bye." She quickly turned and dragged Lee with her. Sakura, Ino, Shikamaru and Naruto following, all except Shikamaru trying to resist their urges to laugh. Sasuke turned to Neji and Hinata.

"Come on," he said. Hinata and Neji nodded and they left the theater.

It was fairly cold outside, and there was a slight chill in the air. Hinata, who had forgotten her sweater, was offered Neji's sweater by the brunette Hyuuga. She had accepted it with a very apparent blush, leaving Neji with only his t-shirt to cover his upper body. He tried to cover up a shiver. It didn't work and soon he felt something drape over his shoulders. He turned quickly and saw Sasuke walking beside him, his jacket no longer around him.

"Uchiha, did you—"

"You were shivering."

"But, it's not that far—"

"You had goose bumps."

"Well, that was just because—"

"Shut up." Sasuke gave Neji a sideways glance and the latter decided that he would listen to the Uchiha. He shut up. The threesome walked into Konoha Forest, its trees now bare and dormant. Neji felt slightly exposed now that the trees were no longer adorned with the small decorative leaves they usually sported. But he felt very safe in the confines of Sasuke's jacket. He walked on, Hinata's hand still clasping his, Sasuke's jacket still only draped over his small shoulders.

They arrived at Hiashi's house and Hinata, eyes moving quickly from Sasuke to Neji, darted into the house, leaving Neji watching her with a very intrigued look. He shook his head and turned to Sasuke. Handing the jacket back he said, "Arigato, Uchiha." Sasuke nodded and, before he could stop himself, leaned in and pressed his lips chastely against the Hyuuga's cheek. Neji's eyes widened. His mind raced and his heart soared. His mouth opened slightly as the Uchiha pulled away. Sasuke took the jacket, waved and said a quick goodbye before turning and walking away. Neji blinked and his fingers moved to the place on his cheek where Sasuke's lips had touched. It was tingling slightly. He watched with wide pearly eyes as Sasuke walked away. _Nice going, Uchiha. Now you've got me thinking that you actually _like_ me back._

On Monday Neji and Sasuke walked to school together as always. Both had made a silent promise that they would not speak of the kiss. It would just be too complicated.

"How was the rest of your weekend?" Neji asked.

"Pretty boring, actually," Sasuke replied. Neji chuckled.

"Of course it was," he joked. "I wasn't there." Sasuke laughed and nodded.

"I think that must've been it." Neji smiled.

"Only a few more days before the concert," he said. Sasuke looked at him and returned the smile.

"Yup," he agreed. "You'll do great." Neji reddened.

"So will you," he said. Sasuke shrugged.

"I guess so."

"So, you'll practice with me after school today?"

"I always do."

"Good." Neji gave a small smile as they continued walking to school.

True to his word, Sasuke practiced with Neji after school on Monday; and every day of that week, right up to Friday.

When Friday rolled around Neji was feeling incredibly eager. He simply couldn't wait until the concert. He felt so excited. He couldn't ever remember feeling this happy about something since he arrived in Konoha.

When school ended Neji went to his uncle's house with Sasuke and the two ran through their orchestra songs as well as their duet. When it was six o'clock, Sasuke had gone home to get ready. The proper concert attire was; for the boys, a black tuxedo suit, and for the girls, a long black dress. Neji had gone out with Hiashi a few days ago and bought a suitable tuxedo for the concert. It fit him very well and contrasted beautifully his pale skin and pearlescent eyes. After adorning the suit, Neji had brushed his hair and put it into his usual low ponytail, allowing only an inch of hair free from the tie. When he was ready, he presented himself to Hiashi, who had given him a nod of approval and encouragement. Hinata had come down a moment later and expressed vehemently how well her cousin looked. Hanabi scoffed indifferently, but mumbled something about the way it fit his form nicely. Neji had smiled and Hiashi had urged them all into his car, refusing to let Neji walk and potentially dirty his nice tux.

They arrived at the school and Neji hurried to the orchestra room, looking around instinctively for Sasuke. Upon arriving, he saw him, hanging out in the back corner, looking as bored as ever. Neji stopped at the door and had to fight the strong urge to gasp. Sasuke looked so…_breathtaking!_ The black tux he was wearing hugged the sharp angles of his body perfectly, and the jacket seemed to flow into the pants, making it appear to be all one piece. Sasuke stood with his hands in his pockets in a relaxed pose, his eyebrows raised, his eyes half shut and his mouth in a bored line. His aloof air and lax posture was enough to make Neji swoon, though the Hyuuga was very good at maintaining his own composure. He walked casually over to the Uchiha.

"Uchiha," he called. Sasuke looked up and felt his body freeze. There was Neji, walking toward him, in a black suit that made him look…_amazing!_ It fit his slender profile perfectly, outlining his small shoulders and hugging his sharp hips. The black material of the suit made his already pale skin appear almost translucent, and Sasuke had to fight the urge to reach out and touch the Hyuuga's enticing skin. And the way that Neji was walking made Sasuke's heart race even more. He gulped as the Hyuuga approached him, unaware that the brunette boy was having the same problem as he.

"Well, Hyuuga, you certainly look the part," Sasuke said. Neji shrugged.

"Arigato, Uchiha," he said. "You do too. When you want to you can really clean up well." He smirked and Sasuke grinned.

"I'll take that as a compliment," he said. "You ready to play?" Neji nodded, holding up his music.

"I always am," he grinned. Sasuke nodded and the two waited patiently for Hayashi to arrive.

When she did, she tuned each of the instrument sections and then she had them play a few of their songs until the concert started. Then they went to the back of the auditorium and watched as the band took the stage. Tsunade walked onto the stage and opened the concert and then the band conductor walked onto the stage. He raised his hands and began the song. Neji raised his eyebrows. They were good. Of course he had never expected them to be otherwise, but he had never heard them play before. They played one very mellow song first, and then they played a more upbeat tune. To end, they played one very dramatic and climactic song that had to be Neji's favorite.

When they finished, the applause was loud and some people gave a standing ovation, Neji and several other orchestra members included. The chorus came on next. Neji spotted Kayoko at the front and Yuji at the back. Yuji. That must mean that Soichiro came to this concert. Neji quickly scanned the auditorium, looking for the blonde boy. He spotted him in the front row. Smiling to himself, Neji leaned back in his chair. He would have to say hello to Soichiro before the night was up.

The choral director walked in front of the chorus and raised her arms. She began the song and the chorus sang. Neji had to admit they were good. However, he didn't enjoy their songs nearly as much as he enjoyed the band's songs. He didn't like vocal songs as much as he liked instrumental songs. Quite frankly the former wasn't even worthy of being mentioned in the same breath as the latter. That was how Neji saw it. When the chorus finished the applause was loud and some people gave the chorus a standing ovation. The chorus filed orderly off the stands and found their seats at the back of the auditorium, as the orchestra left the auditorium to retrieve their instruments.

Neji waited in the wings of the stage as the orchestra filed orderly on and went to their seats. Then, Neji walked onto the stage, his music held neatly under his arm, his posture perfect and beautiful. He crossed to the grand piano, turned to the audience and bowed before sitting down. Hayashi came onto the stage and stood between Neji and the orchestra, angled so that both could see her movements. She looked to Neji when the rustling of sheet music died down and he gave her a nod. She turned back to the orchestra, and raised her hands, much as the conductors preceding her did. She counted them off and began the song.

As always, Neji's hands flew across the white and black keys of the piano. Once again, Neji was mesmerized by the sound that emanated from the beautiful instrument. The orchestra came in as they always did, right at the correct times. Neji soon lost himself to the music, as he always did, and became unaware of the collective gasps and breaths of awe that came from the audience at seeing this young boy play so professionally. The orchestra finished the first song and they began the second. The process repeated itself. They played a third song, and the process was again repeated. But Neji didn't find it repetitive. Not in the least. Quite the contrary, actually.

Neji was so fascinated with the music he played and he could pick out a thousand differences in the pieces he played. Each one was different and unique and thus each provided a different sensation for him when he played them.

Neji was disappointed when the orchestra's songs were finished. He stood and bowed, and then walked off the stage. The crowd's applause was tumultuous. The entire audience rose in standing ovation. The orchestra began to file off the stage and went to put their instruments away. With the exception of Sasuke. He stayed in the wings and sought out Neji. When he found him, he grinned.

"You were great," he said sincerely. Neji smiled.

"Arigato," he said. "So were you." Sasuke nodded.

"And I'm hoping you had as much fun as I did?" he asked.

"Probably more. I'm disappointed now that it's over."

"Well, we still have one more song." Neji looked at the Uchiha and an eager spark flashed through his eyes.

"Yes, we do."

Neji and Sasuke watched as the curtain closed and the chairs were removed from the stage so that there was only the piano and one single music stand. A moment later, Kayoko and Yuji were next to Sasuke and Neji, wishing both of them good luck.

"Hyuuga-san," Yuji said. "Soichiro-chan told me to say hello to you for him." Neji smiled.

"Arigato, Yuji-san," he said. "Tell him hello from me, if you don't mind." Yuji smiled and nodded. He and Kayoko walked onto the stage and Sasuke and Neji followed. Sasuke set up his music on the lone stand and Neji set up his on the piano stand. Kayoko and Yuji, he assumed, had memorized the song.

The curtain opened and once again, Neji faced the audience. He sat at the grand piano to the center right side of the stage, while Sasuke stood at the center left side of the stage. Kayoko and Yuji stood in the middle, between them.

Neji quickly glanced over to Sasuke, who, at that moment had chosen to glance at Neji. The two shared a small almost nonexistent smile and then their eyes swiveled to the audience. Hayashi walked in front of them and looked to each of them. When they were all ready, she gave them a quick count off and then let them begin, hurrying to the side. They were off.

The song began with the violin for the first measure and then the piano joined. The sound was beautiful and soft. After the instrumental bit, Kayoko took a breath and began her part.

_I pray you'll be our eyes,_

_And watch us where we go, _

_And help us to be wise, _

_In times when we don't know,_

She sounded beautiful, as she always did. Her voice was complimented by the piano and the violin. Sasuke's eyes were moving from her to the music as he moved his bow softly and smoothly over the violin.

_Let this be our prayer,_

_As we go our way,_

_Lead us to a place, _

_Guide us with your grace,_

_To a place where we'll be safe,_

Neji's fingers did not dance on the keys as they did for his orchestra songs. They flowed and ebbed, lingering on the keys to stretch the notes and make them last. Neji's eyes fluttered as he played his part. Kayoko's soothing voice and Sasuke's melodious sound were truly ethereal.

_**La luce che t**__**u dai,**_

_I pray we'll find your light,_

_**Nel cuore restera, **_

_And hold it in our hearts, _

_**A ricordarci che, **_

_When stars go out each night,_

_**L'eterna stella sei,**_

_Remind us where you are,_

_**Nella mia preghiera,**_

_Let this be our prayer,_

_**Quanta fede c'e,**_

_When shadows fill our day,_

_**Lead us to a place,**_

_Guide us with your grace,_

_**Give us faith so we'll be safe,**_

Yuji sang his part beautifully, there were no wavering moments, and never once did he hit a wrong note. Neji felt himself sink further into the music as he slowly played a crescendo to match Sasuke's. The sound that floated from the piano mingled with the sound that came from the violin and it made the soft but never unnoticed accompaniment that complimented the vocalists.

_**Sogniamo un mondo senza piu violenza**_

_**Un mondo di giustizia e di speranza  
Ognuno dia la mano al suo vicino  
Simbolo di pace e di fraternita**_

As the two began to sing in harmony Neji felt his heart melt. As Kayoko left the note of harmony to sing a very difficult and incredibly high note, Neji felt his eyes widen in wonder. They sounded truly spectacular. The Hyuuga played a little louder on the piano, his fingers slowly moving, flowing, their way up the piano as they reached a rather climactic place in the song.

_**La forza che ci dai**_

_We ask that life be kind_

_**E'il desiderio che**_

_And watch us from above_

_**Ognuno trovi amore**_

_We hope each soul will find_

_**Intorno e dentro a se**_

_Another soul to love_

Neji was completely lost now in the sweet music. The music had reached its most climactic point and now the violin was being played at forte. Neji slowly let his fingers move back down the piano as the song quieted slightly. Yuji's voice smoothly floated down to a mezzo forte level, and Kayoko's voice soon followed.

_**Let this be our prayer**_

_Let this be our prayer_

_**Just like every child**_

_Just like every child_

Neji's eyes slid closed as he neared the end of the song. His fingers moved on their own accord, and his body swayed without his mind's commands. Kayoko and Yuji sang softy now.

_**Needs to find a place,  
Guide us with your grace  
Give us faith so we'll be safe  
E la fede che  
Hai acceso in noi  
Sento che ci salvera **_

As the song ended, Kayoko and Yuji held the last note in a fermata until the piano and violin faded out. There was silence in the auditorium for a moment before an ear-splitting applause was heard. The crowd was on its feet in an instant. There were cheers and shouts and screams and whistles. If people had roses, they'd throw them onto the stage. Kayoko and Yuji took multiple bows, but Neji and Sasuke took only one. They blended in with the background. They almost weren't there, and that was fine with them. Sasuke turned and smiled at Neji, who returned it wholeheartedly. Their eyes locked and remained so, even after the curtains closed and Kayoko and Yuji were leaving the stage.

Neji turned and gathered his music, walking over to Sasuke, his eyes never leaving the deep onyx ones. The two boys met in the middle of the stage and Neji managed to breath, "That was beautiful." Sasuke nodded.

"It was," he agreed quietly. "I could hear you over everything." Neji nodded.

"And I you," he replied. Sasuke nodded and the two boys began to walk off the stage, Sasuke with his violin and music, Neji with only his music. As Neji walked into the emptying auditorium, the first thing he saw was Yuji. Yuji being congratulated by an ecstatic Soichiro. Neji watched as the taller of the two brought the shorter one into a loving embrace and placed a soft kiss on his forehead. The Hyuuga's heart jerked a little as he watched the sweet display. He turned away to Sasuke and blinked when he saw that the Uchiha was now being pulled into a back breaking hug by Naruto. Sasuke's brother walked up to his younger sibling and clapped a hand on his back and the elder Uchiha's friends all took turns congratulating Sasuke. Neji smiled and began to walk away, but soon felt himself being grabbed from behind.

He tried to turn so he could see who it was, but that question was answered when he heard a high pitched squeal echo in his ear.

"Neji-kuuuun, you were amazing!" Ino's voice shrieked. Neji nodded and broke out of her iron embrace. Sakura was right beside her and pulled Neji into another crushing hug.

"Yeah, Neji-kun, you were fantastic!" she squealed. Turning to fix her eyes on Sasuke, she added in gushy voice, "So was Sasuke-kun." She then succumbed to a fit of blushing as Ino tried to calm her down.

"Nii-san!" Neji turned and saw Hinata, Hanabi and Hiashi all coming towards him. Hinata hugged her cousin quickly and then pulled away.

"You played beautifully, Nii-san!" she said. Neji nodded and smiled.

"Arigato, Hinata-sama," he said. He turned to Hiashi and said, "I think we should get going now." Hiashi nodded and turned to leave. Neji quickly turned to Sasuke and pulled him around to face him.

"Uchiha, I'm going now," he said. "I'll see you on Monday." Sasuke shook his head.

"Saturday."

"Fine. Saturday." Sasuke nodded and bid Neji goodbye. The Uchiha watched as Neji left the auditorium with his uncle and cousins. He didn't hear Itachi approach him.

"Sasuke, when the hell are you going to tell him?" he asked. Sasuke answered without looking at Itachi.

"Now," he said, his eyes still fixed on the door Neji had just exited from.

"Hiashi-sama, I think I'm going to go to the sakura tree," Neji said. Hiashi looked at him in a skeptical way.

"But Neji-san," he argued. "It's very cold outside. Are you sure you want to?" Neji nodded.

"I'll take a coat, uncle," he said. Hiashi nodded, shrugged and went into the family room. Neji quickly grabbed his coat and ran outside.

On the weather forecast Neji had heard that the first snow of the year was going to happen that night. He wasn't sure when, though. He just wanted to be there when it happened.

He reached the sakura tree and sat down in front of it, leaning back against its cold bark, but feeling warm in spite of it. He closed his eyes lightly and breathed deeply. The flowers that normally covered the sakura tree were now gone and the tree was waiting for its annual coat of winter snow. And Neji would be there when it was received. He sat by the tree for fifteen minutes; fifteen perfect peaceful minutes, before he heard someone call to him. His eyes snapped open and fell on Uchiha Sasuke. He was still in his suit, like Neji, and wore an odd expression that could almost be called strained. He took a deep breath as though trying to sum up some courage and took a step towards Neji.

"Uchiha?" Neji asked incredulously. "You know it's not exactly Saturday yet." Sasuke shook his head seriously.

"This can't wait," he said. "I need to tell you this. Now." Neji began to push himself up, a look of urgency flashing across his face.

"Is something wrong?" he asked. Sasuke shook his head.

"No," he replied as calmly as he could. "But I need you to listen to me." Neji, confused, nodded once and stood up, brushing himself off. Hiashi would kill him if he got his suit dirty.

The moon glowed through the bare tree branches, illuminating Sasuke's determined yet slightly nervous face. Neji was at a loss for knowledge of what was coming. He watched and listened as Sasuke opened his mouth to speak.

"I love you," the Uchiha said. Neji's throat closed and his body froze. _…What?_ Sasuke what? Neji looked at Sasuke and his mouth parted slightly.

"You…what?" the Hyuuga choked out. Sasuke looked at him, and his face was serious.

"I love you," he repeated. Neji blinked and regained the ability to move but his body felt slightly distant, as though he himself was in a different place entirely. He instinctively took a step back.

"H-how long?" he asked, his voice flat. Sasuke shrugged.

"Haven't been keeping track," he said. "But I've wanted to tell you for a long time." Neji felt some of his voice return to him.

"Since when have you wanted to tell me?" he asked, his flat hollow tone replaced with one of disbelieving hopefulness. Sasuke's onyx eyes showed determination and honesty and wouldn't let the Hyuuga's lavender ones look away. Without breaking the spell, he answered quietly, "At Naruto's party, when I kissed you I wanted to tell you. But you denied that it affected you, so I shut up." Neji blinked. He had pushed Sasuke away when he said that? He thought he was the only one who enjoyed it, or even cared! The Hyuuga felt a feeling of immense regret begin to well up inside of him.

"The first time we played together by ourselves and with no one around to ruin it, I wanted to tell you," Sasuke continued. "But you turned away and I lost my nerve." Neji was starting to quiver now. That time as well? What the hell was wrong with him!?

"When Sai was there I was aching to tell you, but he kissed me and I froze up." Sasuke looked remorseful now as well. His hands had tremors every now and then, as though he was trying desperately to keep them from shaking.

"And tonight at the concert," he said, his voice now revealing all the emotion he had ever kept to himself. "I wanted to tell you. But when I saw you I choked." Neji blinked and watched as Sasuke let out a breath and smiled shakily.

"Well," he said. "I took the first step. And now, all I have to do is wait for you to accept or reject me." He looked at Neji for a moment and then his gaze fell to the ground. He couldn't stand to look at Neji's face for another moment. It was too…unreadable. Sasuke didn't know what was coming and that was the worst part of confessing love to someone else. The part right after you finish. Sasuke stifled a sigh and looked up, opening his mouth to say something, but was met full on by two lips. Neji's lips. The Hyuuga had closed the distance between them in three strides and was now conveying his full emotion to Sasuke. The Uchiha blinked before he fell into the kiss.

It was chaste and sweet, but, more than that, it was desperate. Through the kiss, Sasuke could feel all of the desperation the Hyuuga had been feeling up to now. It was saddening yet uplifting. As though Neji was finally free from all restraint and was now acting only on whims. Whims he had had for a long time.

Neji pulled away only slightly, enough to give them both the proper amount of oxygen. His right hand was still clinging to Sasuke's neck and he could still feel the Uchiha's soft breath brushing lightly over him.

"You can't possibly know," Neji breathed, his breath coming out slightly heavier than normal. "How long I've been aching to do that." Sasuke slowly smiled and brought his arms up around the Hyuuga's waist.

"I think I have a pretty good idea," he said. He pulled Neji in again and their lips touched lightly. It stayed soft and innocent like that for a moment. But Neji wanted more. And so did Sasuke. The Hyuuga pressed his lips harder against Sasuke's, moving closer to the Uchiha, as though trying to melt into the raven haired boy's body. Sasuke closed his eyes and deepened the kiss further, enticing a soft gasp from the Hyuuga. The Uchiha's tongue traced the bottom of Neji's open mouth and the Hyuuga's tongue moved out to meet it. The two wet muscles "played" for a moment before Sasuke's pushed Neji's back into the brunette's mouth. Neji groaned softly and his back arched as he silently begged for more.

Sasuke separated his lips from Neji's, took a small breath and went back in, his tongue once again, going to work. The cavern that was Neji's mouth was open and inviting and Sasuke learned every dip and crevice of it. Neji's hands moved to the back of Sasuke's head and he pulled himself yet closer to the Uchiha. Sasuke's hands caressed Neji softly, running through the Hyuuga's hair and tracing the contours of his face. Neji's face became a bright red and he gasped as Sasuke's lips pulled away from his once more, this time, staying separated.

Somehow, Neji had been pushed up against the sakura tree and Sasuke's hand had somehow found its way to the bark to brace him. The two boys stood there panting for a moment, before Sasuke let his head fall to Neji's shoulder. Neji leaned his own head over onto Sasuke's and softly stroked the Uchiha's hair. The two boys slid down slowly until Neji was in sitting position and Sasuke, in kneeling position.

"So what now?" Neji asked. Sasuke smiled against him.

"What do you mean, 'what now?'" he asked. "We're officially going out now. If you want to." Neji nodded.

"Hell yes, I want to," he said. Sasuke chuckled and pulled away from Neji. He reached out and pulled the other into him, embracing him warmly and lovingly. Neji fell into Sasuke and brought his arms up around the Uchiha. He sighed and his eyes closed. All that he knew at that moment was Sasuke, being captured in the safe confines of his arms, and his own feelings for the raven haired Uchiha. That was all he knew and that was all he wanted to know.

He was so caught up in these emotions he didn't feel the cold wet thing that landed on his face. He didn't even notice it until Sasuke murmured softly in his ear.

"Neji, look. It's snowing."

* * *

**Holy shit, finally!! About time you got up the nerve to let that out, Sasuke!! Not a moment too soon, because if it had waited any longer, you would've needed a nice trip to the therapist!! Neji too!!**

**O my gawsh!! Please review and tell me what u thought and what I should change!! And also tell me if I should make one more chptr for this just to show the aftermath and what their relationship is like!! **

**Should I do anything more with this couple?? This is my first official fic with them. Answer the questions!! xD Luv u all!**

**Oh, and I do not own the song The Prayer. And the language other than English is Italian. And when it was in italics only, that was Kayoko singing by herself. When it was in bold italics it was Yuji singing by himself. When it was bold, underlined italics it was both of them singing together. K? Great!! **


	21. I Love You

Somehow, Neji had managed to fall asleep in Sasuke's arms and the next thing he knew, he was in his bed on Saturday morning.

His eyes fluttered open and his mind slowly registered where he was. Neji shot up and looked around. He remembered what had happened the previous night but it was a little hazy right now, and the pessimistic side of him told him it had just been a dream. But, thankfully, the realistic side of him told him it had been real.

Neji quickly got himself up and dressed himself, noticing that he wasn't in his tux anymore, but in a pair of shorts and a t-shirt. He turned red. Had Sasuke dressed him, or had Hiashi? He quickly shook his head and changed into a beige long sleeve shirt and a pair of blue pants. He hurried downstairs and looked at the clock. 7:48. Something about that time seemed to scare Neji but he wasn't sure what. Hiashi came into the room.

"Oh, Neji-san, you're up. I was just about to go get you," he said. "Uchiha-san is going to be here in about ten minutes to pick you up." Neji blinked.

"For what, uncle?" he asked. Hiashi gave him a sideways glance.

"For your date," he said, as though this were obvious. Then comprehension seemed to dawn on him and his expression changed.

"Oh, that's right. You were asleep!" he exclaimed. "Well, you have a date with Uchiha-san at eight o'clock." Neji gave his uncle a look. Was it just him, or did his uncle seem amused at the fact that Neji was so nonplussed. Neji shook the thought from his mind and went into ultimate schoolgirl mode. Without realizing it, of course.

"Well, that's perfect," he said sarcastically. "Did he say what he wanted me to wear?" Hiashi struggled to hide a laugh and shook his head, not trusting himself to speak. Neji rolled his eyes and turned pink, realizing what he must've sounded like.

"Well, I guess I'll just wear this," he said, trying to keep himself from yelling at his irritating uncle. He went into the kitchen to get himself a small breakfast, all the time watching the clock.

7:50, 7:51, 7:52, 7:53. It seemed like it took forever for the clock to finally strike eight o'clock. And when it did, Sasuke wasn't there. By 8:01 Sasuke still hadn't arrived. By 8: 02 Neji felt himself panic slightly. By 8:03 Neji was mentally and mercilessly punishing himself for panicking. By 8:04 Neji was thinking of going to the bathroom. At 8:05 he heard a knock on the door. Schooling himself to a walk, not a run, Neji went to the door and calmly opened it.

There stood Uchiha Sasuke, dressed as he normally would dress for winter, not over dressed in any way. He wore a black jacket and black jeans and smiled at Neji. The second thing the Hyuuga noticed was that the ground behind Sasuke was covered in a light layer of white powdery snow. The Hyuuga felt himself smile.

"It snowed," he said. Sasuke nodded.

"I'll bet the sakura tree looks beautiful," he said. Neji nodded. He quickly turned and called back to Hiashi that Sasuke was there, surprised at how normal it all sounded. Then he stepped out to Sasuke, and the Uchiha pulled him into his arms and placed a soft kiss on the Hyuuga's lips.

That was a big confirmation that last night was not a dream. Neji smiled into the kiss and tried not to look too disappointed when Sasuke pulled away.

"So, where are we going?" the Hyuuga asked. Sasuke shrugged.

"Pick a place," he said. Neji let his mouth fall open in mock disapproval.

"You mean, you're taking me on a date and you don't even know where we're going?" he asked. Sasuke grinned.

"Basically," he said. "You've always complained about something or other on all the other outings you've gone on with me and or other people." Neji looked sheepish and turned away to hide it.

"Yes, well, that was because those outings were usually with Naruto-san," he said, voicing the first thing that came to his mind. Sasuke laughed.

"Fair enough," he said. "But, I'm not taking any chances. So, where do you want to go?" Neji shrugged.

"I still haven't seen much of Konoha," he admitted. "Why don't you take me somewhere I haven't gone? If I don't like it I'll tell you."

"Alright," Sasuke agreed. He reached out and snaked his arm around Neji's waist, pulling the Hyuuga in to him. Holding Neji with the caring sentiment that only a boyfriend could, Sasuke led the brunette onto the Konoha Forest path.

They walked together, Neji for the first time, considering and experiencing how wonderful it felt to have someone care about you as ardently as Sasuke cared about him. It lifted his spirits and called forth emotions the Hyuuga never knew he had.

Neji closed his eyes as he walked, letting his head fall onto the Uchiha's shoulder and trusting Sasuke to lead him safely. The Uchiha turned his head and placed a soft loving kiss on the Hyuuga's head, and Neji smiled, blushing. Things were indeed looking up for him.

Sasuke first took Neji to the bookstore he enjoyed so much. He bought the Hyuuga an interesting music book and also forced on him a sci-fi story about machines taking over the world etcetera. He made Neji read the first chapter and refused to leave the store until he did.

"Come on, Hyuuga, it's not that bad," Sasuke insisted. Neji made a face.

"It's so unrealistic," he said, disgusted. "None of that could ever happen." Sasuke sighed.

"That's where imagination comes in," he said. "There's a magical thing called open mindedness, which, right now, you don't have a lot of. Now read." He shoved the book at Neji and sat down at a table, eyebrows raised.

"I'm not leaving until you read the first chapter of that book, Hyuuga." Neji scowled at the Uchiha and reluctantly opened the book, and began to read. Much to his immense surprise and shock, the Hyuuga found that he enjoyed the first chapter of the story. He didn't tell Sasuke, though.

Sasuke had then taken Neji to the mall where he had intended to get himself and Neji a hot chocolate, but the Hyuuga had vehemently insisted that they share one so that Sasuke wouldn't be wasting his money.

"I just don't see why you need to waste your money on two of something we could easily share one of," Neji said pointedly. Sasuke grinned and bought one large hot chocolate.

"Happy?" he asked, waving the drink in front of Neji's face. The Hyuuga pouted cutely.

"Yes, Uchiha, I am," he said. "Was that so hard?" Sasuke rolled his eyes and took a sip of the warm creamy beverage. Neji's mouth turned upward in a mischievous smile.

"Let me try it, Uchiha," he said. Sasuke held out the hot chocolate, but Neji bypassed the cup and placed his lips on Sasuke's inserting his tongue into the other's mouth and tasting the sweet chocolaty flavor of the drink along with a slight taste of the whipped cream that came with it. Sasuke smiled into the kiss and he quickly put the hot chocolate on a table so he wouldn't drop it.

A moment later Neji pulled away and smiled.

"Good?" Sasuke asked, smirking. Neji nodded.

"Delicious," he agreed.

The rest of their date had been fun and sweet and the end of it had found them once again by the sakura tree. Sasuke had been right. The tree was beautiful when it was covered in a light layer of soft white snow. Neji's breath hitched in his throat when he saw the beautiful sight. By then it had started to snow lightly once again. The small frozen flakes fell softly down onto the two boys and Neji suddenly realized he didn't have a coat on.

Sasuke had figured that out a little bit before Neji and that attested to why he was now holding Neji close to him, as though shielding him from the offending snowflakes.

Neji and Sasuke spent Sunday together in the same fashion. It was Monday that neither of them were looking forward to. Their first day back to school as a couple.

As always, Neji awoke at 5:30 and finished all of his morning rituals by about 6:15. For thirty minutes he played the piano and then for the remaining fifteen minutes he spoke with Hinata about him and Sasuke. It was times like these he was glad to have someone to whom he could talk and who would listen.

"So, Nii-san, how was your date?" Hinata asked shyly that morning. Neji turned to her and smiled.

"It was perfect, Hinata-sama," Neji said. Hinata smiled and sat down beside him.

"Well, that's good," she said. "I'm glad you found someone who you can care about and love and who loves you back." Neji laughed.

"Hinata-sama, you've just described yourself!" he said. Hinata blushed and smiled.

"You know what I mean, Nii-san," she said. Neji smiled and nodded, putting his arms around her in a brotherly embrace. She giggled.

"But now comes the hard part," she said. Neji sighed.

"I know," he said. "Now I have to tell everyone."

At seven o'clock, Hinata and Neji hurried out of the door to find Sasuke waiting for them, as usual. Neji smiled as he kissed the Uchiha, completely aware of Hinata smiling behind him. He pulled away and Hinata walked beside her cousin, slipping her hand through his.

"Sasuke-san, you are going to take care of Nii-san, aren't you?" she asked seriously. Neji reddened slightly. Hinata sounded like Hiashi. Sasuke smiled and nodded, holding Neji's hand tightly.

"To the best of my abilities," he promised. "You don't have to worry, Hinata-san. I'm not going to let Neji fall." Neji turned and smiled at Sasuke. He knew he was being terribly mushy, but he couldn't help it. He now understood what his father had enjoyed in those romance films he used to watch all the time. The ones that Neji had found cheesy and disturbing. And at the same time, the ones he now found wonderful and sweet.

They walked together through the forest and soon arrived at Konoha High. Naruto, of course, was ready to greet his girlfriend and Sasuke and Neji. He almost bowled Hinata over with his energetic greeting. He would've bowled Neji over had Sasuke not been there to brace them as they both started to fall. He smirked as Naruto separated himself from the brunette Hyuuga.

"Careful, Uzumaki," he joked. "From now on, I'm the only one who can be that rough with Neji." Naruto's eyes widened and his jaw dropped.

"You two are _together_?" he asked incredulously. Neji and Sasuke nodded. Naruto's expression of shock turned to one of ecstasy and excitement.

"Finally!" he shouted. Grinning and looking between the two of them, he asked, "Which one of you told first?" Sasuke turned slightly pink and pointed to himself. Naruto punched the air.

"Yes!" he shouted. "Alright, Hinata-chan, hand over twenty bucks!" Hinata looked irritated.

"Damn!" she shouted. Neji did a double take. Hinata folded her arms and turned away from Naruto.

"I don't have twenty bucks on me," she said. "I'll have to get back to you on that." Naruto rolled his eyes.

"Don't forget," he said. Hinata huffed, turned and stomped away. Neji and Sasuke watched her go, rather dumbfounded.

"What just happened?" Sasuke asked. Naruto looked at him, smirking.

"We were betting on which one of you'd crack first," he said. "Hinata bet on Neji and I bet on Sasuke. I won!" Neji looked hard at Naruto, thinking back to Tenten's bet at the movies.

"And, by 'we' you mean, you, Hinata-sama, Tenten-san, Lee-san, Shikamaru-san, Sakura-san, and Ino-san?" he asked, already knowing the answer. Naruto nodded.

"Yep," he said proudly. "I have to say, Sasuke, it's kind of an upset. Even I never expected that you'd be the first to say it. I even started carrying around twenty bucks with me just in case!" Sasuke rolled his eyes.

"Nice to know that you believe I can't talk about my feelings, Naruto," he said. Naruto nodded. He reached out and grabbed Neji's hand.

"Come on," he said. "We'll talk about it at lunch. I don't want to be late, and if I am, I'm blaming you guys." With that, he pulled them into the school.

First period was very interesting. Naruto literally almost announced to the entire class that Neji and Sasuke were going out. The only thing that stopped him was Neji, who chose to shut him up by painfully bending the blonde's arm behind his back to the point where Naruto had to double over. The Uzumaki had wisely kept his mouth shut after that.

In second period Lee had fervently congratulated Neji over and over and over, and Neji made a silent promise that he would have to maim Naruto at lunch.

Third, fourth, fifth and sixth period were basically the same as they always were. One of the big differences was, in P.E., Neji could feel free to gawk at Sasuke as long as he wanted and didn't have to hide it. After all, they were an item now.

When lunch came, Naruto stayed true to his word and began a conversation about Neji and Sasuke's relationship. Much to Neji's chagrin, everyone felt like talking about it.

"So, Hyuuga-san," Deidara said, grinning. "You've found the special someone who can arouse those sexual desires in you that we've been talking about, eh?" Neji smirked.

"Yes, that seems to be the case, Deidara-san," he agreed. "But, unfortunately for me, those desires have not yet been completely satisfied." He turned to glance mischievously at Sasuke, who raised his brow, and Deidara started laughing.

"Well, let's hope you don't have to wait long," Sasori said, chuckling. Neji nodded.

"Oh, don't worry about that, Sasori-chan," Itachi sniggered. "Sasuke knows very well that he can have the apartment to himself, any time he wants some…alone time with his new boyfriend." Sasori chuckled and Sasuke grinned.

"I'll take you up on that offer sometime, Itachi," he said. "But I have to consult my 'new boyfriend' first." Neji grinned and rolled his eyes.

"Oh, I certainly wouldn't be against something like that," he said suggestively. "But, I'm afraid Hiashi-sama wouldn't allow it. Before we can have sexual intercourse, it is required that Sasuke court me for a while, taking me on formal dates, etcetera. And he must meet my guardian and formally discuss with him his intentions with me. Then, he must be approved as a suitable partner for me, and then, the sky's the limit." He stopped and Itachi was shaking his head.

"Boy, Sasuke, what did you get yourself into?" he joked. Sasuke chuckled and turned to Neji.

"So, the courting begins now, huh?" he grinned. Neji nodded and smirked.

"I don't mean to frighten you, Uchiha," he said. "But you should at least know what you're getting yourself into when you become intimately involved with a Hyuuga. And Naruto-san should know this too. Since he is dating Hinata-sama." He grinned evilly at Naruto, who had gone slightly white in the face and became a little rigid. Hinata was laughing at him. She winked at Neji, who grinned at her.

The rest of the school day went well and Neji had to admit that he enjoyed it. After orchestra, Sasuke and Neji were confronted by a very nervous Sai, who attempted to make an awkward peace with them. Neji was willing to let bygones be bygones but Sasuke was still a little wary around the ebon haired boy. In the end, though he agreed not to hold any grudges as long as Sai kept his distance, something which he was only too happy to do.

Sasuke, Hinata and Neji walked to Hiashi's house together, as always, this time with a new addition to their group. Naruto had started going that way after school as Hinata's relationship with him deepened. And he just wanted his twenty bucks. Something that he would rub in Hinata's face for years to come.

And as the days of his high school career slowly came and went, Hyuuga Neji found that he was happy; truly happy. Because he now had friends, a family and love. All things that he had given up on in the face of his sorrow, anguish and remorse.

And, at the same time, the things that had saved him from his sorrow, anguish and remorse. And finally, after so many long years, Neji's heart was whole again.

--Seven Years Later--

Neji sat on the couch in his and Sasuke's small house, reading a very interesting sci-fi book. Ever since high school, he had had a growing interest in that genre.

He now had a job as a music teacher's assistant, and worked at his old high school, Konoha High. His lover, Sasuke, worked at the book store and often brought home a variety of books he believed Neji might be interested in, most of them musically oriented.

Neji and Sasuke had been living together for exactly one year to that day. Neji had sought Sasuke out, upon graduating college and had asked him, rather awkwardly, if he wouldn't mind living with him. Sasuke had rolled his eyes, pulled Neji into his arms and kissed him fervently, then replied with a very breathy "Alright."

Sasuke had had to finish one more year of college before he could move in with Neji, who had already managed to find a small place for them. Ironically enough, it was in Konoha, the city that both of them loved so much. Neji's uncle, Hyuuga Hiashi helped with the rent until Neji found a decent job aside from his teaching job that paid him well enough so that he could do it himself.

"Hyuuga." Neji looked up at Sasuke as he walked through the front door, holding a small bag. The Uchiha walked over to Neji and leaned over, placing a small kiss on his lips. Neji smiled.

"How was your day?" he asked. Sasuke shrugged.

"Alright," he said. "I missed you, though." Neji went red, chastising himself as he did so. He had been living with Sasuke for one year and the Uchiha could still make him blush as though they were in high school.

"What time did you get in?" Sasuke asked. Neji thought.

"About one hour ago," he said. "I want to ask you something, though." He put his book down and leaned towards Sasuke.

"Why is there a 'Do not enter' sign on the door to the living room?" he asked. Sasuke smiled.

"Because it's a surprise," he replied, his breath fluttering down Neji's neck as he leaned ever closer to the Hyuuga, making him shiver. He took Neji's hand and pulled him off the couch. Positioning himself behind the Hyuuga, Sasuke placed his hands over Neji's eyes and whispered, "Close your eyes." Neji complied. Sasuke began to walk him forward and Neji's hands shot instinctively out in front of him in an attempt to feel out where he was.

"Relax," Sasuke said. "I promised you I would never let you fall." Neji felt himself blush and he attempted to slow his breath and heart. He felt Sasuke remove one hand from his face and he squeezed his exposed eye shut. He heard a door open and he assumed it was the door to the living room. He grew excited. What was Sasuke planning?

Sasuke removed his other hand from Neji's face and said, "Alright, open your eyes." Neji's eyes fluttered open and widened as they took in the sight before them. His mouth fell open and he gasped, bringing his hands up to his mouth.

"Happy anniversary, Neji," Sasuke whispered in his ear. "I love you." Neji's mouth opened and closed so he looked like a fish out of water. He would've said something. Would've said those words to Sasuke, but his throat had closed and he forgot how to talk. He was just too entranced by what was before him.

It stood proud and beautiful, just as it had all those years ago in high school. And Neji's breath hitched, just as it had in high school. Because, there, in front of him, stood the one thing he had never expected to have so early in his life.

A grand piano.

And as he went over to look at it, to feel it, to play it, Neji saw something that caused his heart to stop.

Because there, sitting on the piano stool was one thing he never expected to have anytime during his life.

An engagement ring.

* * *

**YYYYAAAAAYYYYY!! SASUNEJI FOREVER!! They're still going strong!! Tell me what u guys thouhgt!! This is the last chptr of this fic!! I'm debating about writing a sequel, just for the hell of it. What do u think??**

**Oh, poor Hinata owes Naruto twenty bucks!! **

**Sasuke proposed to Neji!! Tell me what u thought of that end scene!! I need to know if it sounds good!! **

**Review pleeaase!! Thx u all for sticking with me for the whole story!! Luv u all!! xD**


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